A 22-year-old man was in hospital today with facial injuries after a gang hunted him down in Hamilton Parish late last night.

The father-of-two’s family told The Royal Gazette that at least 20 weapon-wielding men on motorcycles and in cars arrived at their home in Midland Heights Crescent at about 10.45 p.m. and smashed windows while demanding to see him.

A neighbour said he saw the gang — allegedly from St. George’s — shortly beforehand, breaking windows at nearby Hamilton Parish Workmen’s Club, also known as Crawl Club.

The victim, who lives with his mother, was not at home and his sister and her husband, who live in an adjoining apartment, begged the men to leave, fearing for the safety of their three young children.

A local clergyman informed them soon afterwards that he had been found bleeding on the roadside and was at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. The victim was still in the emergency department this afternoon, where his condition was described as stable.

The man’s sister, 30, who asked not to be named, said she was bathing her 16-month-old daughter when she heard noises outside.

“It was very frightening,” she told this newspaper. “There were roughly 20, maybe more, maybe 30. People on bikes and in cars aged from 15 to about 30. They were looking for my brother.

“I left bathing my daughter to come outside. That’s when I noticed they had started smashing up all the windows.”

She said her husband, 29, went to speak to the men, who were carrying bats and other weapons, but she pulled him inside. “Soon after that, the guys left and I called 911,” she said.

She added: “We don’t know what it was about but they say it was retaliation from something that happened up Crawl Club the night before.”

The victim’s family went to KEMH in the early hours of today to see him. “He had facial injuries, lip injuries,” said his sister. “He’s in the hospital now getting surgery to his lip. Last night he was conscious but in a lot of pain. His memory was all chopped up.”

A Police spokesman confirmed that an assault took place and said the victim was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. He said the incident was being investigated and asked witnesses to call Police on 295-0011.

Read Monday’s edition of The Royal Gazette for the full story.

ends