A Plymouth community leader and poet who was attacked by two youths as he took a stroll after dark has vowed it won’t stop him wandering the streets of Stonehouse and said: "I'll never give in to thugs".
Peter Davey was only yards from his home in Stonehouse when he was set upon by two men, knocked to the ground and given a kicking so severe he wound up in hospital.
The 44-year-old, well-known among city literary circles and for being involved in community projects, said he had to fight off the men, described as young, white and wearing hoodies, as they tried to steal his jacket and rucksack.
He is recovering from his ordeal, after medical treatment, and is due to give a statement to police about the incident which happened at about 4am on Friday, February 8, 2019.
But a defiant Mr Davey, who composes his poetry and other writing while taking a hike in the wee hours, has vowed the incident won’t stop him meandering around Stonehouse at night, nor drive him from an area of the city he loves.
“This is not going to stop me,” he said. “You can’t be intimidated by these things, you have to keep no doing your thing.”
He added: “Stonehouse is a great area, full of creativity, there are so many good things going on here.”
“This does not stop me loving Stonehouse and all the wonderful folks that I work and live with. Peace and love.
“I will carry on walking streets at night - never give into fear and thugs, always stand up for your rights to be free.”
Mr Davey said he had been out for a “wonderful evening” at the Lord High Admiral with his friend Alan Butler, co-director of Plymouth Pride, to talk about plans for community projects.
He then visited the house of a friend in Peverell, and decided to walk home. Mr Davey composes poetry and verse and finds, much like Charles Dickens did, a night-time stroll the perfect opportunity to come up with ideas.
“By walking the streets in the early hours I can write poetry and spoken word pieces,“ Mr Davey said. “I carry a dictaphone, and sometimes walk to the Royal William Yard, or Devil’s Point, while the streets are quiet and I can reflect on society.”
Mr Davey said he was in a lane connecting St Marys Street to the row of shops in Union Street, “five minutes” from his home, when he was jumped.
“I felt someone jump on my back,” he said. “They pushed me to the ground, I hit my head and was dazed.
“Then they kicked me in the ribs and back, and then tried to pull my denim jacket off and get my rucksack.
“I thought ‘I’m not having that’, saw red and got up,” he added. “I managed to punch them both and that dazed them and they legged it.”
Mr Davey returned to his flat, where neighbours came to his aid. His friend Donna Maughan drove from her home in Devonport and took Mr Davey to Derriford Hospital where he was seen by medics.
Mr Davey said he is covered in bruises and has damaged muscles in his back and torn a ligament in his left leg.
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He said it will take him two weeks to recover denting his work on several key arts and community projects.
Mr Davey runs the arts organisation WonderZoo and the 100 Homes project in Stonehouse. He is also involved with Plymouth CAN (the community arts events network), which is part of the Plymouth Octopus Project (POP). He also works for Visual Arts Plymouth, which runs the Plymouth Arts Weekender.
“So I won’t be out to do any project work,” Mr Davey said. “I won’t be out now until the WonderZoo event at Rumpus Cosy on February 21. That’s also my 45 birthday.”
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