Popular Sheffield bar set to reopen after ‘nightmare’ violent weekend attack

The Trippets Lane venue had an external window smashed after the bar and restaurant closed at 2am, with the perpetrator’s blood splattered on the pavement outside.

Owner Debbie Shaw, who runs the popular city centre establishment with chef husband Carl, could not board the window up or clean the blood until the property had been attended by police, who arrived within the hour, with CSI attendeding the crime scene around three hours later.

She said: “Whoever did it, they must have done serious harm to themselves as when he thumped the window the glass went over towards the chairs, and covered the place.

“I’m still in the process of hoovering small shards - you’re going around with a torch trying to find them. It’s an absolute nightmare, it’s just ‘can they throw anything else at me?’”

She added: “It was obviously someone who had anger issues and a lot to drink.

“The police believe that they found someone with an injury going to hospital at about 4am that would be consistent with what would happen if you put your arm through a window.

“If it was just the window I would have been very hacked off and got it replaced, but the amount of blood on the pavement - it’s all the way down the street - you can see where he staggered around, and then the police believe he got into a taxi.

“It’s just the inconvenience of everything - and the chances are the cost will only be just a bit more than my insurance excess, in which case you don’t bother doing it.

“It’s something else to have to think about when I’m trying to juggle finances anyway at the best of times - it’s just something else to put on my plate.”

The boarded-up window will be replaced before reopening on Thursday, with bookings already in the diary for Friday night.

Debbie was thankfully able to contact regular customers via social media and inform them about the venue’s closure from Monday to Wednesday.

Trade has been inconsistent since the venue reopened following Covid restrictions, with the bar and restaurant currently unable to employ anyone other than Debbie, Carl and a full-time bar manager. Friends of the couple also help out on the floor when needed during busier shifts.

Especially in light of this week’s closure, Debbie implores punters to come and support businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic: “Get out, spend a few pounds in independent bars because that’s what we need!”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

Popular Sheffield bar closed after owner arrives to find window smashed and blood on pavement

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