Daughter's plea to find 'monster' who left dad unable to speak or walk in Salford attack

Video report by Granada Reports journalist Emma Sweeney

A daughter has made an emotional plea to identify the person who left her father unable to speak or walk after an unprovoked attack in broad daylight.

John Lowe, 58, was left with severe head injuries after being attacked in Salford's Clarendon Park on Valentine's Day, 14 February 2023.

The father of three has been left unable to speak or walk, and only sometimes opens his eyes.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are treating the incident as attempted murder.

Now John's daughter, Lily, 35, has issued an emotional plea asking anyone with information to contact police.

She has launched a campaign #Justice4John and visited Salford on Sunday, 12 March, with family and friends to distribute appeal leaflets aimed at encouraging potential witnesses to come forward.

She said: "It's devastating, every day I wake up and I cry, every night I cry, I'm trying to stay strong, but it's heartbreaking."

Her brother Dave added: "The person lay in that hospital bed today is not the dad that we know, not the John that everybody in the community knows and he never will be.

"We're still prepared for some terrible outcome at the moment, he still has severe brain damage."

Lily, has also taken the campaign to TikTok. In an emotional video she says: "My dad, John, was discovered unconscious in Clarendon Park in Salford after being badly beaten. This was around 10am - broad daylight.

"This brutal attack has left him with life-changing injuries and has altered our family forever.

"We were used to seeing our dad full of energy, the life and soul of the party.

"This attack has made him a shell of a person and all we can do his witness him deteriorate right in front of our eyes.

"He is lay in a hospital bed severely brain damaged. There is that much trauma to his brain.

"He can't talk, he can't walk, he can't do anything, he is in a vegetative state. He will never be the same person again."

Lily, known as Lily Dee aka councilestatequeen on the platform, has one million online followers through her comedy sketches and anti-drugs campaigning.

She is hoping her social media presence will help police get the information they need to bring John's attacker to justice.

In the video she continues: "I beg you, anyone, that was on Clarendon Park, please be a hero and come forward.

"He didn't deserve this. Please come forward with some information, identify the attacker, and bring peace and a bit of justice to our family.

"This monster is on the streets of Salford. He could do this to your son, your brother, your dad."

Lily says that the incident has shocked the community in the Clarendon Park area, describing her father as "a big character."

GMP arrested a 32-year-old man on 2 March on suspicion of attempted murder, who has since been released on bail.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or through the LiveChat function on www.gmp.police.uk quoting log number 1218 of 14/02/23.