Man left '˜unrecognisable to his family' after major attack

PSNI detective inspector Chris Millar made the comments as he appealed for witnesses to the attack on 59-year-old Anthony McMahon.

Police said he was found unconscious and “barely breathing” in a pool of blood at around 10.40pm on Tuesday in a carpark on Longwood Road – the long ring road surrounding AbbeyCentre in north Belfast/Newtownabbey.

He had been “savagely beaten” in a sustained attack said police, and had sustained severe head and facial injuries. He was discovered by a passing patrol.

DI Millar said: “The injuries sustained by Mr McMahon are such that he was left unrecognisable to even his closest family members and will now have to undergo reconstructive surgery.

“His injuries are much more than ‘serious’, they are life changing.”

Said by his family to be well-liked and well-known in the area, the image above is of him on the day of the attack, wearing the clothes he was found in.

DI Millar said: “I cannot stress enough just how breathtakingly violent and wicked this assault was. Please call 101, quoting reference number 1360 15/08/17 if you have any information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.”

Information can also be given anonymously to the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.