A man was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after he was savagely beaten in his Surbiton flat and left in a pool of blood for 12 hours.
The 21-year-old – named locally as Dean – was said to be in a stable condition after the incident at about 11pm on Saturday, June 13.
The Ewell Road flat, above DST Chinese Medical Centre, was cordoned off by police for more than 48 hours while forensic officers collected DNA evidence.
His blood had soaked the sofa and been splattered around the flat, neighbours claimed after speaking to the officers who guarded the cordon.
A source said he had been beaten savagely and police confirmed he had been lying bleeding in the flat for 12 hours before a friend found him.
The victim, described as white and of slim build, was understood to have been in intensive care in hospital, but is now in a stable condition.
The hospital is not being revealed because of fears for his safety.
Rumours circulated that the man had been stabbed, but a police spokeswoman later said a weapon had been probably not been used.
The victim was understood to have been living in the flat with his boyfriend, who had been renting it from a man who spends a lot of time in Thailand.
Police said no arrests had been made but there were potential suspects and leads were being followed up.
Officers had been called to Ewell Road the previous night and local residents suspected it was linked to the attack, but a police spokeswoman said they were attending an unrelated burglary.
Neighbour John Owens said: “I’ve been living here for 18 months and I’ve never seen anyone coming in or out of the flat. I’m amazed it happened just across the road.”
One of Mr Owens’ friends, an 82-year-old woman, reported seeing a man covered in blood in the grounds of Surbiton Methodist Church on Sunday and she gave him money for food.
When police were told, dozens of officers descended on the Ewell Road area to search for the man, neighbours claimed.
A nearby shopkeeper, who asked not to be named, said the victim had not lived there long but seemed polite and friendly.
He added: “Everyone’s been talking about what has happened because the police have been outside the flat for so long.
“It must be serious.”
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