A Scots couple have been left 'traumatised' and suffering from daily panic attacks after a homophobic attack while abroad in Italy.
Sunday Russell, 29, had been in Venice, Italy, with partner Martina Bressamutti, 28, when the incident happened on February 13.
The pair had met up with a female friend and her boyfriend at a local bar in the Via Garibaldi area when the night out took a turn.
Sunday, who is from Glasgow, said: "As the night went on our friend's boyfriend started being homophobic towards us and aggressive towards his girlfriend.
"Men in the bar eventually told him to leave."
Shortly afterwards, Sunday, Martina and their friend noticed the man hiding in an alleyway across the street.
So the couple, along with the man's girlfriend, then decided to try to run to their flat, just five minutes away.
But they quickly realised the thug was chasing them.
They managed to get inside to what they thought was safety, but moments later the man kicked the door in before launching a brutal attack.
Sunday, who works as a chef and uses the pronouns they/them, said: "We had only just got in the door when he kicked it open."
What happened next has left Sunday and their partner shaken and terrified.
Sunday was dragged outside and onto the street where the man pushed them on the ground face first before raining blows on to their face as he pinned their hand down by his knee to stop them protecting themself.
They said: "My face was on the ground and he was hitting me and restraining me.
"He was being homophobic and transphobic and telling me he was going to kill me and kick my face in. It was so scary."
Sunday's partner Martina had managed to pull the man off them by the time local carabinieri, Italian paramilitary police, arrived at the scene.
Sunday has been left with a ‘severe’ metacarpal fracture in their right hand following the assault.
They said: "I couldn’t move my body after the attack, Martina has had to become a full-time carer for me.
“My body is still quite battered, I feel like I’ve been smacked by bus.”
The 'traumatised' couple have been left struggling to get over the horrifying incident, as they suffer from 'daily' panic attacks.
Sunday said: “We’re completely traumatised. Every day, when we hear a noise or a door we’re having panic attacks.
“We’re going to try to get some sort of emergency counselling as we deal with the mental trauma of what has happened."
"He was foaming from the mouth, I've never seen someone act like that."
The couple say the man involved has not faced charges and they have secured a lawyer in Venice to help with their case.
Sunday, who flew back to Scotland via Milan on February 16 with Martina, is set to undergo surgery on their hand.
The injury has left them unable to work and the recovery after surgery is set to take at least six months.
The couple, who had been hoping to make a permanent move to Venice, have set up a fundraiser amid mounting costs.
As well as legal fees, the funds will support Sunday while they can’t work and go towards paying the £600 medical bill incurred in Italy.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
You can donate to their fundraiser here .
