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Police appeal for witnesses to Billy Les Inc assault

Regular DiS readers will by now be well aware that one of our own, Billy Bell of London's Les Incompetents and regular helper/flyerer for DiS, was quite brutally assaulted while making his way home from the Barfly, Camden, on Thursday night (June 22).

Police are now appealing for witnesses of the assault to come forward, and have released the below statement. Please take a second to read it, and pass this page on to whoever you know that might live locally, or that knows somebody else that does.

Thanks on behalf of all the DiS team.

 

Statement begins...

Police are appealing for witnesses and information to a serious assault in Islington.

We were called at approximately 23:00 on 22/6/06 to reports of a man having been assaulted as he got off a No.29 bus in Camden Road, Islington.

The victim, aged 19, alighted the bus in Camden Road, near Brecknock Road, N7 (click here for a map of the area). The suspect got off at the same stop and assaulted the victim.

LAS attended and the victim was taken to a central London hospital, suffering from head injuries. His condition is described as life threatening.

The suspect is described as a white male, aged approximately 28 years old, with dark hair and possibly an Australian accent. He was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

DS Sean Smyth from Islington CID said:

"The suspect and victim are believed to have exchanged words on the bus before the assault took place and I am appealing for information from anyone who was on the 29 bus just before 23.00 on the 22/06/06.

"I am also appealing for anyone who witnessed the assault in Camden Road, near Brecknock Road, to come forward. Witnesses reported having seen the suspect laughing as he headed north towards the Holloway Road after the attack.

"If it helps to jog people's memories the assault took place the night Australia played Croatia in the World Cup."

So far no arrests have been made and inquiries are continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the CID at Islington on 020 7421 0350 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

...Statement ends

 

Any messages for Billy can be left on the band's MySpace page, here.

Bastard

Hope he rots, whoever he is.

One mor thing...

From the website:

Essentially bill is in a stable condition and things are looking positive.
Thankyou for all your support and well wishing, we all appreciate it, and im sure bill will be very touched when they bring him round.

After the incident, where billy was punched, fell back and banged his head on the kerb, billy was taken very quickly to hospital, he had a scan, the results of which showed no long trem damage. However he does have a small fracture of the skull, the pressure in his head was also naturally very high, due to the trauma suffered. The doctors decided to keep him unconcious to help reduce the pressure and aid his recovery. After 24hours under sedation the pressure has been reduced. However as a precaution they have to decided to keep him unconscious for another 24hours. This will also help aid his recovery.

So overall things are looking very positive, he is stable, his pupils responsive and he is on the road to recovery. They anticipate bringing him round at some point on sunday (hopefully in time for a rather groggy billy to watch england).

Although the hospital is happy for 2 at a time visits it would be prefereable to go and see him once he is awake on sunday. We will let you know as soon as this occurs, hopefully he can then give you a list of things to bring!

Bill has suffered a head trauma, the body needs time to recover from this and his current situation is very positive and hopefully he should be brought round on sunday and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. He is a strong person and is responding well to the drugs.

Thanks again for your support we will update you on the situation but things are unlikely to change until he is brought round on sunday, again this is probably the best time to visit him.

So keep thinking positive thoughts.

Stan (and Billy if he were awake) xxx

This is terrible.

Hope he gets well soon.

that is good news

good

actually wrong/old info

Ok. Things are no longer positive.

Today Billy underwent a 5 hour operation, a piece of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain, this was done successfully. However his brain is now very inflamed, this inflamation has spread to the rest of his body.

The next 48 hours are crucial, there are three possibilites. The first is that the inflammation causes him to pass away in the next 48 hours, the second is that he makes it through, in which case he will be in a coma for a considerable time, he may wake up and no longer function properly, he may however also wake up and be ok.

Bill has damage to his brain, the next 48 hours are crucial. Things are touch and go. Essentially billy could pass away.

The doctors say the brain is so complicated that they cannot tell us how likely any of the possibilites are, we just have to wait and see.

Please try to think positively for bill, however irrationally this may sound I cant see this being the end, its just not bill.

We can only hope and pray.

We will keep you updated, and please, respectfully do not come to visit the hospital.

Thankyou again for all your messages of support, Im sorry I havent responded to many.

Your kindness is touching at this trying time.

Stan xx

sadly

that's not the most recent news... they had to remove a piece of billy's skull from his brain last night and it's currently very touch-and-go.

bulletin posted this morning

Ok. Things are no longer positive.

Today Billy underwent a 5 hour operation, a piece of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain, this was done successfully. However his brain is now very inflamed, this inflamation has spread to the rest of his body.

The next 48 hours are crucial, there are three possibilites. The first is that the inflammation causes him to pass away in the next 48 hours, the second is that he makes it through, in which case he will be in a coma for a considerable time, he may wake up and no longer function properly, he may however also wake up and be ok.

Bill has damage to his brain, the next 48 hours are crucial. Things are touch and go. Essentially billy could pass away.

The doctors say the brain is so complicated that they cannot tell us how likely any of the possibilites are, we just have to wait and see.

Please try to think positively for bill, however irrationally this may sound I cant see this being the end, its just not bill.

We can only hope and pray.

We will keep you updated, and please, respectfully do not come to visit the hospital.

Thankyou again for all your messages of support, Im sorry I havent responded to many.

Your kindness is touching at this trying time.

Stan xx

I hope for all those involved

that there is some good news soon.

This is really sad.

But we have to remember this happens a lot. Its terrible whenever it does. We should always help the police whenever we can wether they're in a band we like or not.

Thought I might make little point. Glad to hear there's no long term damage.

hope he gets better soon

for there are not enough bands like les incompetents if any. X

I'm reading more of this thread now.

I really hope that he pulls through.

I hope that they catch the bastard that did this

very very soon.

Terrible news

I've been listening to this band for a few months now and was hoping to get one of their gigs soon. I just hope he recovers as soon as possible and that everything turns out okay.

This is very sad.

:(

They were putting a positive sound on it on 6music

and you just hope things really do become that positive - fingers crossed everyone.

Billy, hope

All my thoughts and prayers go out to Billy...

He is one of the funniest, nicest guys I have met in this town.

...See you soon, Bill.

Peterx

This is very sad

I hope it gets better x

That's terrible.

I really hope the guy's ok.

This is sad.

Hope it all turns out OK.

Les Incompetents are a very unique, genuinely brilliant outfit.

shit

just shit, human beings doing this to other human beings... fucking awful...

Fingers are crossed

hope things turn out for the better for Bill.

...

thinking of him lots and best wishes to his brother, girlfriend and family. he's a strong willed lad, i'm quite hopeful for him.

Les inc played at the last Transparent magazine night and without a doubt were absolutely incredible. Love them all dearly.

:(

..

i live just around the corner and yesterday police were handing out lots of flyers on the 29 buses, so hopefully they will catch the person responsible..
it's just awful for his family. It's really sad. Hope it's a positive outcome x

this is just awful

fingers crossed he pulls through. xx

Thoughts...

...go out to him and his family and friends. Everything crossed that he pulls through. x

Awful Awful Awful

I was really sorry to read the latest news on Billy yesturday.

I was at the Barfly on the night they played, he must have been on a real high after what was a brilliant sold-out night. To have that happen on the way home is just awful.

I hope he gets well soon and I'm glad he Police are being so pro-active with the case.

Horrible Stuff

It's terrifying to think that one person can do that to another.
Get well soon.

This sort of thing

makes me fucking sick.

I know nothing by Les Incompetents and i don't know Billy personally but i hope he pulls through, and i hope they catch the neanderthal loser that has nothing better to do with his life than ruin other peoples.

i hope very hard

first and foremost that things start looking optimistic for billy very soon, and that they catch the absolute cunt that did this.

it baffles me what kind of kick someone gets out of doing that. get well soon, billy.

God

this is awful.

Like everyone else I hope he gets well soon.

x

This sucks. I've witnessed some serious

assultsw in Camden before. One guy got he head battered by a bunch of skins. How cowardly is that?

Camden can be a complete dump at times. Ah, I really do hate all of this. Still, they messed with a guy is indie connections. HE'LL BE FOUND. Whahahaha.

This is awful..

Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

dreadful news !!

I saw Billy and his band recently at King Tut's in Glasgow and they were one of the most refreshing bands I've come across recently - they were great!!! I sincerely hope that Billy gets better very soon.

that's horrible and scary

i hope billy gets better soon... best wishes xx

and hope that shithead gets caught

Lads...

Thinking of all of you. x

This was the lead story on London Today earlier

Good to see this horrific crime is getting some media attention and that it doesn't just go down as another assault.

i see that the nme

are now finally covering the story.

it's sad. i feel really choked when sean is posting all the updates on the message board. you can tell there is much love.

horriblehorriblehorriblehorrible

very very very very best of wishes to billy. he's always seemed lovely though i've only ever met him vaguely. best of best of wishes once more x

it's in

tonight's evening standard too

Absolutely Heartbreaking

I'm so sorry, please get well soon.

terrible story

sounds like a case of jelousy perhaps over his talent or girlfriend. if theres any justice this guy will be caught and the key thrown away.

also in

today's Guardian.

Jesus

That's awful. Fucking terrible.

There's a lot of people wanting this guy caught, so let's hope somebody knows something and gets him arrested.

What an arsehole that guy must be.

Get well soon Billy

xx

.

that's really awful. good to see so many supportive comments from people. i really hope he's okay soon

Thats dreadful

We can only pray he recovers. Get well soon Billy x

With all the will in the world

Billy will recover without any major long term cerebral damage and the neandathal that did this will either get caught or at very least pick on the wrong guy next time resulting in life changing pain. Karma, it works.

Get well soon Billy.

Hopefully

Billy will recover and by next year Les Inc can go on to do the festivals, Reading, Glasto, V... going down as
True Indie Rockstars

He can do it!!!

Get Well Soon Geezer

Amir
x

Small update

I gather someone has been arrested.

yeah!

think he handed himself in.

Although his health is paramount

thank fuck they've caught the bastard that did it (assuming it is him)

has anyone

heard anything new?

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