'Fighting for life'

Sep 14 2012 By Jackie Grant

A MAN is in a critical condition in Dumfries Infirmary after being viciously attacked as he walked home from the pub.

Alexander McGowan, known as wee Eck, was hit over the head with a glass bottle and beaten up when he fell to the ground on Saturday night.

He was walking through Queensberry Close in Sanquhar at around 11pm when he was set upon.

A team of police officers are working on the case in a bid to find out who is responsible for the horrific assault.

Mr McGowan's devastated daughter Fiona said her dad took a "turn for the worse" on Wednesday night and doctors told her he is facing "a big fight".

The 24-year-old is appealing for people to contact police if they know anything about what happened to her dad.

She said: "I'm in absolute shock that somebody could do this to my dad, who is so well-loved and popular in Sanquhar.

"I'm devastated that he's been left practically fighting for his life in hospital and we need to know who did this to him.

"He was hit over the head with a bottle and then battered as he lay on the ground. Whoever it was just ran off and left him there."

Miss McGowan phoned an ambulance to take her father to hospital on Sunday morning after she thought he was having a heart attack.

"I didn't know he'd been beaten up at this point," she said.

"He told me he had pains in his chest and it wasn't until we were in the ambulance that he told me what had happened the night before.

"He remembers being hit over the head with a bottle and then hearing footsteps running away.

"After he regained consciousness, a member of the public picked him up and took him home, but we have no idea who that person is. We need to find out as soon as possible.

"My dad wouldn't hurt a soul which makes this even worse."

Fifty-three-year-old Eck is being treated for serious head and chest injuries and remains critical in Dumfries Infirmary.

His daughter added: "He had a punctured lung, three broken ribs and a serious head injury.

"We thought he was going to be okay but he took a turn for the worse and is now battling a urine infection, a chest infection and emphysema on top of everything else.

"Doctors told me he has a big fight ahead of him. My family are absolutely devastated."

Detective Inspector Mark Carruthers of Dumfries CID said police want to hear from anyone who was in the area of Queensberry Close around the time of the attack.

"This was a very serious assault and we have a team of officers working on the case to try and establish what happened", he said.

"We particularly want to speak to the man who helped Mr McGowan home after he was attacked."