London hammer attack: First picture of finance worker left fighting for life after street assault

This is the finance worker left fighting for her life after trying to protect her mother during an unprovoked hammer attack.

Ania Gos, 30, and her 64-year-old mother were repeatedly bludgeoned as they walked down Adderley Gardens in Eltham on Sunday afternoon.

Neighbours described how Ms Gos confronted the attacker after he ambushed her mother, who was visiting from Poland.

The younger woman was then hit up to five times on the head with the hammer. Both women remained in a critical condition in hospital today.

Ms Gos, who works for finance firm S&P Global in Canary Wharf, is believed to live with her boyfriend on the street where the attack took place.

She is pictured two years ago after receiving an accolade as part of the national WOW! awards, which highlights excellent customer service.

Nominating her at the time, her manager Jolanta Cook said: “Ania is always very diligent with the work she does.

“You can always rely on Ania being on time, she never calls in sick and when left at the desk on her own will always take responsibility.

“As Ania normally is quite quiet, she rarely gets nominated. However, she is a very solid backbone of the team who makes sure that all is going well and everyone is looked after.”

S&P Global said yesterday that colleagues were “extremely shocked and saddened” by the “senseless” attack.

It added: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to their family and friends as Ania and her mother remain in critical condition.”

A spokesman would not confirm what position Ms Gos held, but a LinkedIn page described her as working in business support services for McGraw Hill Financial, a former name for the firm based in the east London financial district.

The site said Ms Gos received an English qualification at King’s College London in 2008 after earning a master’s degree in history from the University of Lodz, Poland.

Residents on the street described the daughter as a “quiet” and “sweet” woman. Neighbour Bob Gover, 69, said his CCTV cameras caught the assault, adding: “He attacked the mum first and [she] bravely ran over to confront him. He then hit her in the face with the hammer. He struck them both at least five times in the head.”

Joe Xuereb, 27, of Greenwich, was today appearing at Bromley magistrates’ court charged with two counts of attempted murder.