'I saw him lying lifeless in the road': Son of West Bromwich pensioner seriously injured in carjacking speaks out

Reginald Stocking was left lying in the middle of the street, with a broken eye socket, chipped skull and a bleed on the brain, after the brutal attack in West Bromwich.

The 78-year-old was returning home when he was hit over the head by the thief, who had been lying in wait as he parked his car.

Mr Stocking had tried in vain to stop the thief stealing his Peugeot 207 by grabbing hold of the door, but was knocked over and forced against a wall before being dragging along the road as the thief fled the scene in the car.

He was left lying in the middle of the street, with a broken eye socket, chipped skull and a bleed on the brain, after the brutal attack.

Mr Stocking was taken to Sandwell General Hospital where he remains in a poorly condition and is currently receiving oxygen.

His son David said: "He can't remember anything. It is only what we have told him.

"He still thinks he has got a car. He hasn't.

"He keeps asking where his clothes went, but the police took them for forensics.

"He doesn't know anything about the injuries he has got."

The 47-year-old scaffolder said he had been visiting his father regularly, but did not know when he would be out of hospital or whether he would ever fully recover until further tests had been carried out once he had got his strength back.

An initial scan had shown a small bleed on Mr Stocking's brain.

"He is in a bad way, a really bad way. I don't know his prognosis. From what we have been told they are waiting for him to get his strength back a bit more before they have a look at the brain side of it," David added.

Mr Stocking worked as a security guard for 20 years, collecting money from shops and banks, while he was also an engineer with Brockhouse Transmissions in West Bromwich for 30 years.

The former Charlemont School pupil in West Bromwich was also a local football referee for many years and even took charge of games involving West Bromwich Albion in the late 1960s.

The vicious attack took place on Sunday, May 10, when Mr Stocking, who has three grandchildren, returned from a night at the bingo at Mecca in Oldbury.

He had just helped his wife Sylvia, aged 80, to the door of their home and was parking the car in the garage off Chapel Street, behind his home in Old Meeting Street, when the thief struck at 9.20pm.

David described the culprit as 'scum,' adding: "I hope he crashes the car with him in it, that is how strongly I feel about what he has done.

"It's horrifying what he has done to dad. Mum phoned me as soon as it happened and I drove round and saw him lying in the road lifeless.

"All we know is the police think he tried to stop them."

He added his father was hooked up on medication to ease the pain and was spending most of the time sleeping.

"You hear about things like this all the time on the news but you never expect it to happen to your elderly dad," he added.

The light blue Peugeot 207 – registration BK60 LXN – is still missing and also contained a bag full of £2 coins, which Mr Stocking had saved.

Dc James Ashcroft, from Sandwell Police investigation team, said: "We are yet to trace the stolen Peugeot and urge people to keep an eye out for it in the local area.

"We believe it will have some damage to the front and rear end as it collided with the victim and a wall before driving off."

Anyone with information is asked to call Sandwell Police investigation team on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.