Police Scotland are investigating a horrific attack that left a 23-year-old woman with serious facial injuries.
Ellen Clarkson, from Broxburn, attended the Hot Dub Time Machine show at the Royal Highland Centre on the outskirts of Edinburgh to celebrate her birthday with friends when she says she was violently set upon by an older male and a group of females.
She claims the male, who was said to be in his 30’s, punched her in the face and knocked her to the ground unconscious. After this, it is alleged that two females then began kicking the victim in the face and head.
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The social worker says that her boyfriend, Cameron Hunter, 24, from Falkirk was also assaulted by the group, and has sustained injuries himself. The firefighter was said to have been separated from partner Ellen and was forced to watch the attack as he too was beaten and placed in a headlock.
It is understood that the horrific ordeal, which happened in the early hours of Sunday August 21 at around 1.15am, took place after a group of females mistakenly identified Ellen as someone who had assaulted a younger sister of one of the attackers.
Ellen has been left with a displaced facial fracture that could require surgery and a possible broken nose, jaw and cheekbone. Her partner Cameron also suffered from facial soft tissue injuries following the assault.
The injuries sustained by the social worker means that she will have to take significant time off from work. She adds that the incident had left her scared to leave her home alone.
Ellen shared her disappointment with the way the event was organised and said that they were told by security staff at G4S that there were no police or ambulances in attendance. This meant that she had to call her brother to collect the pair and take them to hospital where they spent 12 and a half hours.
She said in a post on her social media that: “I’m feeling quite tender and sore, and want to say thank you to everyone for their well wishes.
“I would like to add my disappointment in the organisation of the event. There were no police organised to attend the event and following the attack we were advised to call 101 and report the crime, the attackers were simply let go without any details taken.
“When I was in the welfare area I was told I may have a broken jaw, cheek bone and nose however there were no ambulances organised to attend the event and we were asked if ‘my lift home’ could take us to the hospital. My brother was then phoned at around 01:00am and was asked to take us to hospital as no ambulances were available.
“After giving descriptions of the attackers to stewards, they confirmed they were aware of these people earlier on in the night and that they were even searched. They were not at this point asked to leave and were allowed to continue their night within hot dub causing two further altercations between myself and friends.
“I’ll definitely be closely considering what events I’m attending in future and urge everyone to ensure they do the same. Can’t believe absolutely no police presence or ambulance were organised for this event at all, especially given the size.”
As a result, Ellen, along with her friends and family, are looking to identify the culprits so that they can be brought to justice and so that they cannot do this to another unsuspecting victim. Her mum, Cassandra Jayne, shared a heart-breaking post on social media.
She said: “Sorry if this post is disturbing or upsetting in advance. We are looking for any witnesses to help the police with their investigation.
“Ellen Clarkson, my daughter, was viciously attacked at the Hotdub event on Saturday August 20 while out for her birthday with friends. She was punched in the face by a grown man and knocked out cold to the ground.
“While she was on the ground unconscious, two females were kicking her about the head and face. As shown she has sustained serious injuries to her face and head.
“The perpetrators thought she had apparently ‘battered their wee sister’ and so did this to her. Ellen’s boyfriend Cameron was held back in a headlock and also repeatedly punched in the face.
“If anyone has any information or seen anything please get in touch. We think that there will be CCTV footage but it would be helpful if someone had seen what happened too. We are hoping the power of social media will help us. Ellen is very brave to allow sharing of these images and try to stop these vile people from doing this to anyone else.”
Ellen spoke to Edinburgh Live and revealed that she had just returned from the hospital after being informed that she may require surgery. She added that she is now scared to leave her own home and that the attack has also caused psychological damage.
She said: “I’ve just returned from the hospital, where they confirmed that I have a displaced facial fracture on my cheekbone which could require surgery to fix, but we won’t know until the swelling has gone down.
“My assault is now being treated as a serious assault due to the fracture and my boyfriends will remain an assault. I’m a social worker and the injuries I have sustained mean that I am going to need to take a lot of time off work.
I’m not a confrontational person. I try to see the good in everyone but this has honestly taken me aback. I don’t think it’s quite hit me fully yet what’s happened to me but I’m genuinely scared to leave my front door unattended at the moment.”
Her partner Cameron also shared his thoughts on the attack and spoke of how difficult it was to have to watch his partner be set upon as a group restrained him from helping her. He posted on Facebook: “Hard posting images like these as a man but when you are targeted by a group and pulled away from your partner so she could be attacked it is enraging.
“I’ve been lucky that the damage to my face is probably just soft tissue but the intention was to remove me from stopping Ellen Clarkson being targeted and allowing her to need multiple trips to hospital.
“Shout out to G4S for restraining the group and escorting them off the premises while not letting me help Ellen and telling me that they weren’t holding them for the police or letting me report this as it ‘isn’t their job’ and to report it to 101. The people responsible got to walk away while we spent 12.5 hours in a hospital waiting room.
A spokesperson for G4S said: “We are aware of an isolated incident at the event, and we are working with Police Scotland to support their investigations.”
Organisers of the Hot Dub Time Machine events in the UK and Europe have been contacted for comment. A spokesperson for The Royal Highland Centre said: "We are aware of an isolated incident from Saturday evening and are supporting police with the investigation."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers received reports of two people being assaulted in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh at around 12.15am on Sunday, 21 August, 2022.
“A 23-year-old woman and 24-year-old man attended hospital for treatment and were subsequently discharged. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Anyone with any relevant information has been asked to share it with officers by calling 101.
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