A HUSBAND and wife were left unconscious in a brutal and unprovoked assault in a town centre.

Kieran and Julie Sowerbutts had been to a family party and were standing outside a pub when the attacker approached and began punching them.

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Mrs Sowerbutts was knocked out for around 10 minutes and suffered four fractures to her cheekbone and two broken bones in her arm.

Police are now hunting the man responsible and calling on witnesses who might have vital clues to come forward.

The couple, who live in Oswaldtwistle, needed hospital treatment, with Mrs Sowerbutts, a clerical officer for the NHS in Rawtenstall, being kept in the Royal Blackburn Hospital for four days to have an operation.

The 39-year-old mother-of-three, who has been told she may also have a fractured skull, said she had been left terrified to leave her house.

She said: “I was absolutely petrified and I knew at the time that was it. I knew I was going to get hurt and there was no escape.

“It should have been a celebration, but it was a night to remember for all of the wrong reasons.”

The couple, who live near West End Primary School, had been at a 25th wedding anniversary party at the Rhoden Inn, in Accrington, for self-employed joiner Mr Sowerbutts’ sister.

They decided to have a final drink at the Black Dog, in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, with niece Amy Edmondson and her boyfriend, but when they arrived, last orders had already been called.

Mrs Sowerbutts said the landlord allowed her and Miss Edmondson to go inside to use the toilet and when they came back, a man was standing on the pavement and started speaking to her.

She said: “Everything is very much a blur, but the man caught my attention.

“I remember him coming towards me and Kieran stepping in. That is when he hit Kieran.

“He stumbled backwards and as Kieran fell to the floor, he caught his head on the wall. When he was down, the attacker then kicked him in the head a couple of times.

“I remember looking at Kieran and thinking in all honesty that he was dead. There was blood coming from his face and he was knocked out.

“I intervened and tried to stop him from hurting him anymore, but then I was punched and went down too.”

Mrs Sowerbutts said she remembers getting back up and following the attacker as he made his way towards Ward Avenue so that she could keep an eye on him until the police arrived.

She said: “I said ‘why did you just do that to Kieran?’ and then I do not remember anything.

“I was told I was found unconscious on the floor. My nose was pouring with blood.

“It is all just a blur, which is a horrible feeling because I do not know what happened.”

After a CT scan and X-rays, Mrs Sowerbutts, needed an operation on her face for her broken cheekbone.

Her arm will also be in plaster for six weeks.

Mr Sowerbutts also needed an X-ray for facial injuries.

He said: “From I can remember bit was really awful.

“I’m ok now but I am really angry inside because of what he did to Julie.

“I want him caught. He hit my wife and I am very annoyed.”

Mrs Sowerbutts said: “We are really shaken up. I have not been out of the house since it happened apart from to go the hospital.

“I do not feel confident enough and I am in a lot of pain in my ribs.

“I am just scared and it has put me off going for a night out.

“My children could have been left without parents and so in that respect we have been lucky.

“But this man needs to be brought to justice and he has to pay for what he did.”

A police investigation has been launched and anybody with information about the attack, which happened around 1am on September 21, is asked to call police.

The attacker was described as being white, aged between 25 to 35 and of slim build. He was between 5ft 8ins and 6ft tall and was wearing a grey hooded top and light-coloured chino-style trousers.

It is thought he may have had a verbal altercation with a taxi driver before targeting the couple.

Det Con Tony Roberts, from East CID, said: “Please could anybody who witnessed the assault or who knows any details of the offender contact me.”

Anybody with information should call 01254 353561 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.