A chef may be left permanently blinded after being beaten up by thugs.
Andrew Grounsell, 23, was brutally jumped by a gang on Bicester Road shortly after 2am on Saturday leaving him with a fractured right eye socket and broken ribs, a broken jaw and broken teeth.
Mr Grounsell’s sister, Claire Grounsell, 21, said her family now face a nervous wait to see whether he regains his sight.
She said: “This is not what a family should have to deal with over Christmas time.
“He can’t even open his eye. We have got to see after recovery how it is. He’s got stitches all round his eyebrow.
“He doesn’t even look like my brother. He looks like the elephant man.
“He’s totally oblivious about what happened to him. My friend found him lying in a pool of blood.
“We just can’t figure it out. The weird thing is they haven’t taken anything and he had £200 in his wallet and his iPhone.”
She said her family would have to wait six to eight weeks until Andrew can open his eye fully before doctors can establish whether he can regain his sight.
Miss Grounsell said her brother, who works at the Green Man and the Cotton Wheel, was walking home
after meeting friends for a drink at Shoot Pool in town but that he was not drunk.
After being discovered by Miss Grounsell’s friend, who was driving back to work, after checking on her child, he was eventually rushed to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Miss Grounsell continued: “My mum is absolutely devastated. My two year old daughter has to look at her uncle black, blue and purple.”
She added that an unknown member of the public also took care of Andrew and that she believed the gang may have run away after being disturbed by someone.
Miss Grounsell said her brother was due to start another job at The Honeybee this week but he will now be unable to work again until the new year providing he regains his eyesight.
She added: “As a family we are very devastated and want to make the public aware that no matter how long or short your journey is don’t walk anywhere by yourself in the dark.
“We would hate for another family to be going through what we are.
“It was like a five minute walk for Andrew and he got jumped. Just get a taxi.”
Thames Valley Police said no arrests have been made and has asked anyone with information to call 101 and ask for PC Sarah Nicholls.
