Swansea photographer ‘blinded in one eye’ after vile homophobic petrol attack
A gay photographer has been left blind in one eye after he had petrol thrown in his face in a homophobic attack.
20-year-old Tyler George Maddick had moved back to Wales just days before the savage attack on Thursday, in which he was branded a “faggot” and had petrol thrown over him.
He told Wales Online: “I’ve just moved back to Swansea and I went out to see some friends.
“I got to a road crossing and I heard this car stop up behind me.
“I heard this homophobic slur. Next thing I knew I’d got this liquid in my face.
“I could smell petrol but I thought that was from the car then I started walking for a bit longer and my face started to burn up.
“I ran home but I couldn’t call anyone because my phone had died.”
He was given the devastating news that he had permanently lost vision in his eye when he went to hospital the following morning.
He said: “I was told there and then I’ve lost all of my vision in my left eye.”
A South Wales Police spokesperson said: “I can confirm that we are investigating an incident where a man has reported that he has had petrol thrown at him while walking along Pentregethin Road, Gendros, in Swansea at approximately 22.30pm on Thursday night.”
Mr Maddick added of his sexuality: “With me it’s quite obvious so I guess they must have just picked up on it.
“[I] lived in Swansea for 15 years and I’ve never had a problem. I moved back about three or four days ago.”
“I’m quite a strong-minded person and it wasn’t so much that they had done it, it was the fact that they targeted me because if they can pick on me they can pick on anyone.”
