Punched because I have ginger hair: Brave Alex speaks out over sickening attack caught on CCTV

A sales assistant has claimed a yob shattered his jaw with a single punch because of his ginger hair.

Battered Alex Kosuth-Phillips was forced to eat through a straw for three months after the unprovoked attack outside a pizza takeaway last February.

Shocking CCTV has been released which captures the moment Alex was floored by the sickening punch after he had been clubbing to celebrate his 23rd birthday.

The footage shows Alex backing off before the thug launches his attack, who can then be seen casually pointing to his victim as he lies unconscious on the pavement. 

He was punched so hard that his jaw was broken in two places and he needed two metal plates inserted into his face.

Alex, from Chester, has bravely spoken out about the attack which happened outside Pizza Land in Selly Oak, Birmingham, just after 1am on February 24.

He said: "All I remember is walking into the pizza parlour and there were two of them [the attacker and his friend] sat on the left hand side.

"One of them said something to my girlfriend, I asked what he said and he started swearing, becoming abusive and mocking my ginger hair.

"I said I didn't need it and I was leaving.

"All I remember was opening the door and the next thing I knew I was in hospital, where I had to have two lots of surgery.

"It's just not fair that people go around doing this kind of thing.

"They show no care for what they have done and they show no remorse."

"I hope the person who did it hands himself in, or someone who knows him calls the police," he continued.

"Watching the footage makes me think he has been trained to punch.

"People assume that you get knocked out and jump back up, but it's not the case."

Brave Alex, whose girlfriend was studying in Birmingham at the time, had spent the night at the Gatecrasher nightclub in the city centre before heading home after 1am.

Despite being attacked almost a year ago, he watched the shocking footage of the attack for the first time last week.

Alex, who lost two stone in the weeks after being assaulted, added: "I had not been allowed to see the CCTV of the attack until last week and it was a bit hard-hitting.

"It's the first time that I have seen both of my parents cry.

"It was traumatic at the time and it's traumatic now.

"I lost two stone in 12 weeks and had to eat mashed potato, coleslaw and cheese for three months.

"I have two plates inserted in my jaw and even now I can't eat meat and get quite a lot of pain.

"I was depressed and scared to go out after it first happened and it has been hard to come to terms with."

West Midlands Police are now urging anyone who recognises the thug in the CCTV footage to come forward.

Detective Constable Louise Corcoran, from West Midlands Police CID, said: "This was an unprovoked assault which left an innocent man knocked out cold and requiring surgery.

"The offender walked into the shop and made an offensive comment to him before hitting him in the face.

"It's had a lasting effect on the victim, who has been left physically and emotionally scarred by the assault.

"We need to catch the person responsible and ensure justice is done."