Man hit over head with baseball bat before thieves steal his car

A man was hit over the head with a baseball bat before thieves stole his car in Rochdale on Saturday (3 November).

The victim, 58-year-old Rochdale man, Paul Schofield, was parked up in his black Ford Fiesta ST2 on Leamington Street at 10.55pm on Saturday when a White Nissan Juke passed by and parked up around the corner.

Three men armed with baseball bats got out of the Nissan and approached Mr Schofield’s vehicle.

One of the men demanded that he get out of the car, before hitting him over the head with a baseball bat.

A female passenger was then threatened by the other two men who told her to get out of the car and leave her handbag behind.

The offenders then split up and drove away Mr Schofield’s car and the Nissan Juke.

The victim sustained a large laceration to his head and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The stolen vehicle, a black Ford Fiesta ST2 registration MM17 YAF is still outstanding.

 

 

 

Detective Sergeant Charles Stewart from GMP’s Rochdale Division said: “This was a callous attack that left the victim with a significant head injury. Thankfully, he is recovering well but the consequences could have been much more severe.

“We are determined to catch those responsible for this crime and have released pictures of the vehicle as part of our enquiries.

“Were you in the area at the time of the attack or have information that can help us? Perhaps you’ve seen the car in the area since, saw it or the Nissan Juke around the time of the incident, or suspect someone as having been involved.

“Even the smallest detail is often enough to open new lines of enquiry and lead police to the offenders. Please get in touch if you know something.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 8756 quoting incident 2409 of 03/11/18 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.