Bristol doctor stabbed on own doorstep tells attacker 'I feel bad for you'

Watch Dr Adam Towler's interview with ITV News West Country.

A Bristol doctor who was stabbed nine times on his own doorstep then made a harrowing 999 call told his teenaged attacker he felt "bad" for him and wishes him well.

Chanz Maximen, 19, of Sea Mills, knocked on the door of Dr Adam Towler's home before stabbing him nine times - inflicting one wound just millimetres from his heart.

In the emergency call, Dr Towler can be heard saying "I need an ambulance, I am injured" as Maximen hammers on the door in the background.

The 52-year-old can be heard to calmly add: "There is a man with a knife who injured me in the vicinity. He's shining a light through the door. I believe he is mentally disturbed."

Dr Towler then tells the call operator: "I'm bleeding - he's battering the door."

The doctor was treated for his wounds while Maximen has been jailed.

• Listen to the 999 call released after the doctor was stabbed on his doorstep:

'There was blood everywhere'

Speaking to ITV News West Country, Dr Towler recalled the "randomness" of the attack and being too fearful to get help.

"There was a massive 'woomph' to the side of my chest, which was the first stab wound," he said.

"I guess I felt taken by surprise. Then I sort of went into autopilot mode... he had a knife and he kept coming at me.

"I was trying to keep him calm but he was pushing me down the street.

"I didn't really realise how bad it was until I suddenly felt the cold wetness and realised there was blood everywhere."

Maximen denied six offences during his trial at Bristol Crown Court but was found guilty by a jury.

He was jailed for life on February 16, with a minimum of 12 years behind bars.

The knife attack was one of two he carried out over a four-week period in October and November 2019.

Dr Towler – who now develops medical software – was in court to give a victim impact statement at the sentencing.

He expressed concern for the defendant and his future, and said he was worried he would spend a long time in prison.

Describing a holiday he took in the aftermath of the attack, he told the court: “Amid all the great experiences I had on it, I never stopped thinking about you.

“I don’t know why but sometimes I would feel bad that I had this great freedom but you didn’t – I wondered if you had just made a mistake, albeit a big one, or been unlucky.

“When I compared my position with what I imagined yours to be, it sort of didn’t seem fair, although I know that’s hard to understand.”

Dr Towler told ITV News West Country he could see Maximen had "listened" when he read out his statement in court.

"We had eye contact and we nodded at the end when I wished him and his family luck.

"I don’t feel me being angry with him serves any purpose. I guess it’s given me some opportunity to reflect about the fragility of life in a way.

"There’s elements of life that are not fair and nothing we can do about it, you know?

"How come it’s me? We’re sitting in two chairs but it could have been your door he came to as much as mine."

Detective Chief Inspector Kristina Windsor, from Avon and Somerset Police, described the case as one of the most "chilling" she has ever dealt with.

"It's the kind of things you have in nightmares - when you open your door to find a complete stranger attacking you," she said.

“I’d like to reassure the public that attacks of this nature are extremely rare in Avon and Somerset.

"When they do take place, we take them extremely seriously and put all the resources required into catching those responsible", she added.