 BLIND in her right eye, artist Janet Hall spoke for the first time of a savage attack inflicted by a gang of car crooks. The ferocity of a punch by one of three thugs smashed her eye causing blood to spurt out, excruciating pain, and severe headaches. Now she can only see shadows from her injured eye and it could be months before the swelling behind subsides and blood drains away. But the former PE and Science teacher is remaining calm and still hopes surgeons can operate to restore her vision. Wearing her protective eye shield, Mrs Hall, 43, said: “I have had nightmares since this happened. Blood was spurting from my eye, and everything went blank after the punch. It was a hot searing pain and I began screaming to alert neighbours to get an ambulance. “I went to Newcastle General hospital and they examined my eye but could only put a gauze over because it was swollen and bleeding. That night when I got home I was throwing up. I was sick throughout the night.” Mrs Hall’s surveyor husband, Max, 40, was also injured when he chased barefoot after one of the men at their home in Alnmouth Drive, Gosforth, Newcastle. During the melee, he was thrown onto the bonnet of the gang’s stolen Vauxhall Corsa and tried to cling on while it began reversing. Mr Hall slipped off, and fearing the gang were going to drive the car at him, got out of their way before they ran over his feet. He suffered ligament damage in his elbow and bruised arms, feet and legs during the attack on the night of Sunday, January 13. Mrs Hall, a talented botanic artist who has had flower paintings exhibited at the Artworks gallery in Ouseburn Valley, hasn’t been able to work since the attack. “I’m just taking each day as it comes at the moment,” she said. “I’ve kept going thanks to the tremendous support from family, friends, and neighbours. Max and I have found comfort in the dozens of cards and flowers we have received.” She had unwittingly confronted the thugs who were attempting to steal her imported white Mazda MX5 Roadster parked on the back drive. The couple are both rally enthusiasts. Max is the chairman of Tynemouth and District Motor Club and Janet is secretary. They were married just over a year ago after meeting on a night out in a pub and discovering a mutual love of auto sports. Max had been doing his accounts at around 9.45pm and Janet was relaxing in the lounge when they heard a noise coming from the back garden. Janet then heard an attempt to open the back door. Seeing the back of a figure walking down the path, she thought he was a friend of theirs and went to call him back. She recalled: “I saw him carrying one of the alloy wheels Max had stored by the shed. I realised he was stealing it and he turned around to face me. “He didn’t say anything, as if he was struck dumb at being caught red-handed. Then I saw two faces peering out from the windscreen of my car. One may have been crouching nearby, but one had broken into it.” The man carrying the wheel fled as Janet shouted to Max that they were stealing her car. With her husband in pursuit, Janet remembers trying to stop one of the crooks from getting out of the car by slamming the door against his leg. It was then she felt the punch to her face and blood began pouring from her eye. Neighbours came to help her as she cried out in pain. Unaware his wife had been badly hurt, distraught Max returned injured himself within minutes of the gang escaping in their getaway car. “I have to wait to see if surgeons can operate on the eye,” said Janet. “There are three scratches on the retina, but it is lying flat and hasn’t lifted so that is a good sign. “I had taken up painting as a living in 2000 and after my car was struck in an accident and I broke my pelvis. Before that I worked as a PE and Science teacher at West Denton. “Meditation has helped me remain calm. I have to hope I will be able to paint again.” Janet appealed for anyone who knows who the men are to contact police. “I don’t want other people injured by these men. They should be caught because they are prepared to use violence for sake of stealing alloy wheels and cars.” The couple have been touched by the cards, gifts, and flowers, but they would like anyone else who is considering sending them to donate cash to the Tyne Sight charity instead, at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary on Ward 20. Newcastle CID at Etal Lane are continuing to hunt for the gang. The youth who punched Janet is 17 or 18, 6ft, and slim with broad shoulders and short, dark hair. He was wearing a dark-coloured sweatshirt and dark blue tracksuit bottoms with white vertical stripes down the legs. The second had short dark hair, was aged 18 or 19, slim, and wore a dark top. The third was in his late teens, with short, mousey-coloured hair. Call police on 08456 043 043 ext 69191 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. | 
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