Woman smashed wine bottle over man’s head in ‘homophobic’ attack at Brighton Pride

A man has said a woman threw a wine bottle at his head and shouted anti-gay slurs at him in what he believes was a homophobic attack in Sussex.

Owen Syred said that he was in Asda in Lancing on Saturday afternoon, after returning from a day out with friends at Brighton Pride.

He explained to The Argus that two women and two children had been shouting homophobic insults at him, including “fat poof” and “fat queer,” as he walked to the supermarket.

The 51-year old, who works at a detention centre, said the confrontation turned violent in Asda, and that he had to restrain one of the women.

“I think they just assumed I was gay,” Syred told The Argus.

He continued: “She was right in my face. I told her she needed to back away but she kept on with the barrage.

“Eventually she got to the point where she was so violent I had to restrain her. I put her in an arm lock.”

“A shop worker pulled her away. I said sorry to the staff and that I didn’t know what it was all about.”

The incident took place at an Asda store in Lancing, Sussex. (Asda)

He said staff then separated them, but that the woman went to the wine aisle and then threw a bottle of wine at his head.

Syred added: “She went to smash me over the head with the bottle.


“She hurled it and it hit me in the back of my head as I turned my face away.”

Two people kiss during Brighton and Hove Pride on Saturday. (Tristan Fewings/Getty)

Describing the attack as “very shocking,” Syred told the local paper that he had been signed off work until the end of the month, and that he believed the incident was a homophobic hate crime.

However, police are reportedly investigating the attack as a violent crime, and not a hate crime.

PinkNews has contacted Sussex Police for comment.

More than 300,000 people are estimated to have attended Brighton’s Pride parade on Saturday (August 4).

Pro-trans activists led the Brighton Pride parade in a poignant response to the anti-trans group that ‘hijacked’ Pride in London in July. 

There was also the Brighton Pride Festival held in Preston Park on Saturday, which was headlined by Britney Spears.

However, once the singer finished her headline act in front of around 57,000 people, fans were embroiled in chaotic scenes at Brighton’s train station.