Man injured in 'homophobic attack'

Sab was celebrating their engagement when the hate crime took place

A man was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw after holding hands with their fiancée in Cardiff.

Sab Samuel, originally from Bath, was celebrating their engagement when the attack took place on Queen Street during the early hours of Sunday.

Police are treating the incident as a hate crime and have shared CCTV of two men they would like to track down.

Mr Samuel said: "It's not fair - I just wanted to propose to my boyfriend - why do they always steal the best moments?"

Police have shared CCTV images of two men they would like to speak to

"We were celebrating our engagement - it should have been one of the best experiences that anyone should be able to have, where I proposed to my boyfriend and he is now my fiancée.

"We were walking down the road holding hands."

It was at this point a homophobic slur was shouted.

"Before I knew it, I was being punched in the face and I fell to the floor."

During the attack, their engagement ring was lost.

"I just wanted to get it back," said Mr Samuel, who works as a drag queen telling stories to children.

"The police said my health and safety was their top priority, but as soon as I got to the hospital I left.

"I went back to near the McDonald's and I was just crying and searching on the ground for it."

Eventually, they found the ring and then went back to hospital where scans showed they had a fractured jaw.

Mr Samuel, who is recovering at home, said this has made them more determined to go out and hold hands with their partner.

'No place in society'

A South Wales Police spokesperson confirmed they were investigating the assault.

"A 29-year-old man was assaulted by two other men close to McDonald's at around 3.15am," they said.

"One of the suspects made a homophobic remark during the incident which is being treated as a hate crime.

"Hate crime has no place in society and is a priority for South Wales Police.

"Officers are examining CCTV as part of the on-going investigation."

Anyone who witnessed the assault or has information should call police.

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