Greenhead Park attack victim Holly: ‘Why did no-one try to help us?’

Oct 28 2009 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A CARER who was subjected to a violent, random attack as she helped a client through a busy Huddersfield park has spoken of the ordeal.

Holly Clearey, 20, had to be taken to hospital after she was assaulted by 18-year-old Kim Rushworth as she walked through Greenhead Park in daylight.

As reported in the Examiner on October 14, Rushworth, of Manchester Road in Milnsbridge, admitted the assault. She was given 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £171 in compensation by Huddersfield magistrates.

Now Holly has questioned the level of security in the park – currently undergoing a £5.4m revamp – and voiced concern that she was left to fend for herself for 10 minutes while people looked on.

She said: “No-one did anything. I’m just so angry no-one came to help us.

“There were plenty of people walking past, sunbathing and just sitting and watching on the hillside, and no-one could have cared less.”

Holly, who works for a private care company, was walking from Greenhead into town with a 33-year-old woman who has mild learning difficulties at about 6.30pm on July 2 when the incident happened.

Rushworth and another girl started hurling abuse at the two women, before Rushworth started threatening Holly after she looked at her.

Holly said: “We were both trembling, we could hardly move.

“She pushed me around to face her and was shouting loads of abuse at me.

“The other one was egging her on to hit me. The woman I was with went and hid behind a tree. She was crying her eyes out.

“That’s when she punched me.”