Shop worker critical after attack

Shop worker critical after attack

An Asian shop worker is suffering life-threatening head injuries after an attack police are treating as attempted murder.

Police in County Durham are keeping an open mind about whether father-of-two Rakhvinda Garcha was the victim of a racially motivated assault.

It happened after Mr Garcha, aged 29, rowed with a man who threatened to burn down his father's shop in Darlington on Friday night.

As the confrontation spilled out onto the road, the assailant got into a car and drove off with Mr Garcha, known as Raj, clinging to the windscreen wipers.

He was then flung from the bonnet, suffering serious head injuries.

Arson threat

Earlier Mr Garcha had refused to serve cigarettes to the man's teenage son, suspecting that he was not old enough to purchase them.

The boy's father had then come into the shop on Bates Avenue - which doubles as a post office - where he had a heated argument with Mr Garcha. He made the threat to burn down the shop as he left.

Mr Garcha followed him outside the shop and stood in front of the man's car. With his hands on the vehicle, he had a heated discussion as the man sat in the driver's seat.

But the man then drove for 60-70 yards - with Mr Garcha clinging to the front of the car - before coming to a stop and sending the shop worker flying into the street.

Condition worsened

Mr Garcha was found barely conscious on the ground at around 1900 GMT and was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

His initial condition was not thought to be life-threatening, but it worsened on Friday evening, when he was taken to Newcastle General Hospital.

Surgeons operated on Saturday morning and described Mr Garcha's condition as "critical".

Police have appealed for witnesses to the attack.

The attacker, who drove a blue saloon, is described as white, aged 45-50, around 5ft 8ins to 5ft 10ins, of stocky build and with a beer belly.

'Distraught'

His son was described as 5ft 5ins, slim, with cropped light brown hair and wearing a pair of dark-rimmed glasses.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson of Durham Police said officers were keeping an open mind about whether the attack was racially motivated - but he said there was no evidence at this stage to suggest that it was.

"Mr Garcha has been left badly injured and as you can expect his family are distraught at what has happened," he said.

Mr Garcha and his wife Rubinder have two young daughters.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the incident room at Darlington police station on [phone].