Two gay men assaulted in South London, a week after homophobic Two Brewers stabbing

Two gay men have been assaulted in South London, just over a week after the homophobic stabbing that took place outside The Two Brewers bar in Clapham. 

The couple, Michael Smith and his boyfriend Nat Asabere, were assaulted whilst waiting for a bus at around 11pm in Brixton on Saturday (19 August), after spending the day at UK Black Pride. 

The pair, who are in their 30s and 40s, were approached by a man they do not know who proceeded to punch Asabere in the back of the head and Smith in the face “three or four times”. 

They fled onto the bus and then realised the extent of Smith’s injuries, which were later treated in hospital, the couple told the BBC.

“Luckily, my flight mode just set in and we just ran on to that bus,” Smith told the broadcaster. “That’s when I looked down, and I just saw blood all over my T-shirt, and I was thinking ‘where’s this blood coming from?’

“I could taste it in my mouth and I could see it on my hands, and when my tongue went over my lip I could just feel this massive split in my lip.”

No arrests have yet been made and the police are treating the incident as homophobic in nature. 

The attack on the couple comes just over a week after two other men were stabbed outside the Two Brewers in Clapham. 

The incident happened on 13 August at 10.15pm and saw two male victims, aged in their 20s and 30s, attacked by a man with a knife. 

The Metropolitan Police are continuing their search for the attacker. 

Despite the attacks happening a mile apart from each other and in such a close time frame, the Met do not believe the incidents are linked. 

Following the attack, Asabere has been left with headaches and Smith says he has been struggling to process the incident and what happened to him. 

“I’m having such a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment. When it’s online and someone sends me a message, I’m able to articulate how I’m feeling,” he explained,

“But when someone asks me how I am in person, a lump gets my throat and that’s when I feel like I’m about to break down. It’s taken a lot out of me.”

Smith went on to say that he feels increasing levels of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is resulting in a rise in hostility towards the community. He is now raising money for Stonewall in response to the attack. 

“I had to channel all of those emotions and feelings and make it empower me to do something good,” Smith said.

“That’s why I’ve done a fundraiser and that’s why I decided to talk about it. Because I know that if I didn’t talk about it, I know it will be eating away at me.”

If you have any information about the attack, contact the police on101 and quote reference number 8673/22AUG.

Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.