Wife of Imtiaz Ul Haq says its a miracle he's still alive and are praying he will be able to speak again following sickening knife attack
These are the horrific knife injuries suffered by a popular supermarket during an attack which almost killed him.
Imtiaz Ul Haq received sickening gashes to his neck, wrist and head after he pushed a panic button at the Costcutter store on Queensferry Road East, Queensferry, during an alleged robbery last Thursday.
Now the family of the 58-year-old say they are devastated at what has happened and are praying he will be able to speak again after his voice box was disconnected during a five hour emergency operation to save his life.
The store is now closed until further notice as the shocked community rally round with messages of support and a money collection for the family launched by locals.
Today Mr Ul Haq’s wife spoke of the traumatic moment she was phoned by a member of the public to say her husband had suffered critical injuries.
“A young man called me to say somebody had cut my husband’s throat.
“I was with my 10-year-old daughter at the time and we immediately rushed down to the scene in the car.
“There were about 10 police cars and my daughter just started running up the road to my husband, but she was held back."
She said he was taken to the Countess of Chester and later underwent emergency surgery at the Major Trauma Centre at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, where he had a five hour operation to repair the damage to his neck.
“He had to have his voice box disconnected during the procedure and we are just praying he will be able to speak again.
“The doctors said he must have had an angel looking over him, because it really is a miracle he is still alive, he could have died.
“Somebody had come behind him with a knife and when he pushed the panic button he attacked him first slitting his wrist and pushed the knife into his neck.
“And as a man was running out with the till, my husband was struck in the head.
“My husband was using his jumper to stop the bleeding.”
Mr Ul Haq is now recovering in the Aintree hospital with a decision likely to be taken tomorrow, Friday, December 16, on when he can come home.
His wife said the family had come over to the UK from Pakistan “to be safe” and opened up two shops, one in Queensferry.
“We came here to be safe, but now this has happened.
“In the last four months, we have been broken into four times, with £1,500 worth of cigarettes stolen last month.
“But to be honest the local people have been fantastic with their support, we have been receiving all kinds of messages and calls left wishing us all the best.
“And it is really nice to think that people may be collecting money for us.”
• During a special weekend sitting at Flintshire magistrates court on Saturday, Matthew Liam Whelan, 29, of Willow Park, Gladstone Way, Mancot, was charged with the joint robbery of the Costcutter store and attempting to murder Mr Ul Haq.
Leslie Peter Baines, 47, of King’s Road, Connah’s Quay, faces the charge of robbing him of a till drawer to a value unknown.
They will next appear for a plea hearing at Mold Crown Court on January 6 next year.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/horrific-injuries-suffered-queensferry-shopkeeper-12322879
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