- *** WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT ***
This is the horrific moment a British backpacker nearly bled to death after being attacked and stabbed in the neck in a Thai bar after allegedly telling another tourist to leave his girlfriend alone.
Footage shows Hugo Mooney, from Bristol, lying bloodied on the floor of the Bamboo Bar on the ‘Full Moon Party’ island of Koh Pha Ngan as onlookers desperately try to stop the bleeding.
Mr Mooney said he was drinking beer with his six friends at around 11.30pm on January 28 when he was attacked, allegedly by Israeli national Eliran Alias.
He claims Alias harassed his girlfriend as she walked to the toilet and when he tried to intervene, the Israeli tourist attacked him with a smashed beer bottle and stabbed the sharp end into his neck.
This reportedly caused blood to flow around the room, in front of shocked tourists.
***WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO BELOW***
Mr Mooney (pictured before the attack) said he was drinking beer with his six friends at around 11.30pm on January 28 when he was attacked
He claims Alias harassed his girlfriend as she walked to the toilet and when he tried to intervene, the Israeli tourist attacked him with a smashed beer bottle and stabbed the sharp end into his neck (wounds now pictured)
Coincidentally, a Canadian doctor who was on holiday was in the bar and he administered life-saving first aid, saving Mr Mooney from almost certain death. He survived the attack and was rushed to First Western Hospital over an hour later. He was then transferred to Koh Phangan Hospital (pictured)
Coincidentally, a Canadian doctor who was on holiday was in the bar and he administered life-saving first aid, saving Mr Mooney from almost certain death.
He survived the attack and was rushed to First Western Hospital over an hour later. He was later transferred to Koh Phangan Hospital and has since largely recovered.
Mr Mooney said of the moments before the attack: ‘I saw a man behaving very strangely towards girls all night, trying to grab their hands as they walked past and whispering in their ears.
“My friend said he had been behaving the same way with her all night, and around 11pm I saw him trying to whisper and grab her,” Mr Mooney said.
He added that he walked up to the man and told him to “leave her alone.” As he turned to walk away, Alias ran towards him with the broken bottle, slitting Mr Mooney’s neck.
“At first I thought he had punched me or hit me on the head, until my friend screamed that I was bleeding from my neck,” the Briton said.
“I thought it was a joke or someone was making fun of me because there was so much blood.”
Police later arrested the suspect – another young holidaymaker who had been partying on the infamous island – before he was released on bail a few days later.
Mr Mooney claims that when he arrived at the police station to give his statement the day after the attack, he was placed in a room with his alleged attacker while police tried to get him to ‘make a deal’ with Alias.
Mr Mooney also suffered injuries to his face and ear in the alleged beer bottle attack
Mr Mooney (pictured) said of the moments before the attack: ‘I saw a man behaving very strangely towards girls all night, trying to grab their hands as they walked past and whispering in their ears.’
Mr Mooney also had a cut on his arm (pictured above) which required stitches in hospital
He also claims that someone close to Alias offered €100,000 to Mr Mooney to drop the assault case.
‘The wounds are starting to heal. I’m just a little angry and upset right now. A bit scared too,” Mr Mooney added, saying he felt abandoned by police after Alias was released on bail.
He said he believes the suspect may have “paid off the police” to make the case go away, but the investigating officer, Police Lieutenant Patcharapol Wanghin from Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, said: “The investigation into the attack continues.
‘It will be done according to the law. We need both sides of the issue so that it is fair for everyone. There is no corruption.’