Shocking x-ray shows a knife buried deep inside a boxer’s face


A 21-year-old boxer came within just one millimetre of death after he was stabbed in the face with a kitchen knife. 

Robbie Pattinson, from Wigton, Cumbria, was on a night out in April when he was savagely attacked by a drug-fuelled thug, who has since been jailed for attempted murder.

The shocking x-ray images shows the weapon buried deep into his face, just below his left eye.

Shocking x-ray image shows the kitchen knife buried deep within Robbie Pattinson's face after the attack in April last year

Shocking x-ray image shows the kitchen knife buried deep within Robbie Pattinson’s face after the attack in April last year

He was told by doctors that if the six inch blade had penetrated just one millimetre more it would have severed a major artery and cost him his life. 

Miraculously two days after waking from a coma, the talented boxer was back in the gym looking ahead to his next fight.

And he has since recovered so well, despite the attack less than a year ago, that he is now preparing for the biggest title of his career, a regional belt, this weekend.  

Robbie told by doctors that if the six inch blade had penetrated just one millimetre more it would have severed a major artery and cost him his life

Robbie told by doctors that if the six inch blade had penetrated just one millimetre more it would have severed a major artery and cost him his life

Robbie told by doctors that if the six inch blade had penetrated just one millimetre more it would have severed a major artery and cost him his life

Robbie said: ‘It’s a big deal, especially after what happened last year, you’ve got to bounce back or you don’t.’

The sportsman was on a night out with his girlfriend Vanna Hayden-Okesene on April 12 when he got into an altercation with 39-year-old Scott Topping.

A court heard when the situation escalated the amateur athlete was forced to throw two defensive punches, which sent Topping crashing to the ground.

The sportsman was on a night out with his girlfriend Vanna Hayden-Okesene (pictured) on April 12 when he got into an altercation

The sportsman was on a night out with his girlfriend Vanna Hayden-Okesene (pictured) on April 12 when he got into an altercation

The sportsman was on a night out with his girlfriend Vanna Hayden-Okesene (pictured) on April 12 when he got into an altercation

The pair then ran into each other again a short time later and Topping, ‘humiliated’ and ‘desperate for revenge’, plunged a knife into Robbie’s face.

A court heard the attacker had been aiming for his victim’s throat and that had the knife gone in any further it would have severed a key artery.

Following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court last year, Topping, described by the judge as ‘a very dangerous man’, was found guilty of attempted murder and jailed for life.

Robbie, who has fully recovered, says he remembers everything that happened the night he was attacked, including waking up in the hospital three days later.

He added: ‘I was very weak, I’d lost nearly half my blood.

‘As soon as I woke up the doctors were telling us they couldn’t believe I was still alive.

‘I just felt lucky really, it’s all you can think.’

Robbie is now preparing for a regional belt which marks the biggest title of his career just 10 months after he was stabbed

Robbie is now preparing for a regional belt which marks the biggest title of his career just 10 months after he was stabbed

Robbie is now preparing for a regional belt which marks the biggest title of his career just 10 months after he was stabbed 

Robbie says he was ‘surprised’ at how quickly he recovered, adding he ‘tried not to dwell’ on what happened, despite its traumatic nature.

He said: ‘I was more or less back into it straight away.

‘I just felt that if I didn’t come back, get it over and done with, what happened would keep nagging on me.’

Robbie has been supported along the way by longtime coach Andi Crossman, who describes his fighter as a ‘warrior’ and will be in his corner this weekend.

Remembering the call he received on April 12 with news of the attack, Andi said it was as if his ‘world had collapsed’.

He added: ‘I hated seeing him like that but if there was anybody I knew was gonna pull out of it, it was him. He’s one of the hardest lads I know.’

Robbie has been supported along the way by longtime coach Andi Crossman, who describes his fighter as a 'warrior' and will be in his corner this weekend

Robbie has been supported along the way by longtime coach Andi Crossman, who describes his fighter as a 'warrior' and will be in his corner this weekend

Robbie has been supported along the way by longtime coach Andi Crossman, who describes his fighter as a ‘warrior’ and will be in his corner this weekend

But even Andi was surprised when Robbie walked into Wigton Amateur Boxing Club five days after the attack, although he was still in the early stages of recovery.

Robbie said: ‘I was left with dizziness all the time, bad heads.

‘I couldn’t eat because the knife went through my throat. I still can’t feel the left side of my mouth.

‘The surgeon said that feeling might come back, but it maybe won’t. It could take years.’

After some weeks doctors gave Robbie the all clear to start boxing again but Andi said they took it ‘step by step’ to begin with and he even wore an extra safe head guard.

The coach is confident about his fighter’s chances this weekend, saying, ‘you don’t get a harder fight than beating death’.

He added: ‘As long as he goes out there and gives me his best, and comes out alright, that will do for me.’