"I thought I'd lost my eye." Farmer's horror at metal bar attack
Gratuitous, uncalled for and violent - a farmer has described the moments he was attacked with a metal bar by an intruder at his farm.
Robert Withers confronted his attacker outside his home near Halesowen after being woken by the man in the early hours of the morning.
After telling the intruder to leave, the 71-year-old was hit above the eye with a metal object, thought to be an iron bar.
The strike left Mr Withers unable to defend himself - but still the attacker hit him six or seven more times to the head, before walking away.
The attack happened at the farm in Illey on September 8.
Mr Withers said: "After the first blow I felt the skin above the eye split and I could hardly see in front of me - I was a man out of the game.
"But still he advanced on me, hitting me over the head several times, it was uncalled for and gratuitous. There was no need for that."
Mr Withers has lived and worked at the cattle and sheep farm all his life.
On the night before the attack, he said he had spent several hours helping a cow give birth and then checking on the calf, before heading to bed at 1.30am.
He was then woken up at about 5am by a noise outside. Initially he thought it was a badger and crossed the landing before hearing another noise and going downstairs to investigate.
He said: "At the bottom of the stairs, in the kitchen I saw a man through the back window - I then went out to see him to see what was going on.
"I said 'what are you doing', he replied, saying he had come round for a fag. It was so ridiculous, I instantly didn't believe him and told him to leave.
"I moved around close to him and he swung out with something, probably an iron bar, and clobbered me just above the right eye.
"I felt it split straight away. I thought I'd lost my eye."
Mr Withers said he managed to stay on his feet and began to grapple with him.
He said: "I couldn't do anything though. My eye filled up with blood and then he hit me over the head six or seven times.
"He then simply walked off on to the road. He didn't say anything as I left.
"I was soaked in blood, but made it to the phone and called 999."
Mr Withers spent four days in hospital. He was treated for the severe gash above his eye, cuts to his head, a broken arm, nose and bruising to his left knee.
He has been left with scars from the stitches above his eye and on his head. His arm is healing, but is still wrapped in a cast.
He said: "I know they (doctors) thought I might lose my sight in one eye because of the attack."
Police are appealing for help to track down the farmer's attacker.
They have released CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to in connection with the attack.
Officers describe the man as stocky and white and in his early forties.
Detective Sergeant Leighton Shingles said: "He was wearing a dark sleeveless bomber jacket over a check shirt and dark trousers. He also wore a hat and claimed to come from Bartley Green.
" We are appealing to anyone who may have seen this man acting suspiciously in the area to contact us as soon as possible."
