The incident began when Kurt Kirkham was driving the wrong way on a one-way road, and the victims pointed out his error. Kirkham yelled 'come on then' before aggressively approaching their car and punching the male victim in the face through the open window. He then opened the back door where the couple's daughters, aged three and nine, were sitting, prompting the male victim to get out to draw attention away from the children.
Kirkham threw the male victim to the ground and kicked him with full force to the chest, fracturing his sternum, and grabbed the female victim, throwing her to the ground and pulling a chunk of hair from her head. The couple and their daughters were driving to get a pet when the attack occurred in the car park opposite Dunelm in North Shields, with the daughters crying and terrified during the assault. Kirkham was later arrested and admitted driving the wrong way on the road, describing the incident as 'unfortunate'.
The incident has had a massive impact on me, my partner and the two girls. The man was unhinged and I've never seen anything like it. In my opinion he was out for blood and was not going to stop until he seriously hurt someone. It was only when I saw my partner being kicked to the chest and saw the air leaving his body that I had to decide what to do. I didn't want to leave my two girls but I had to because I knew he was not going to stop attacking him. I've been brought up that men don't lay a hand on women but I was thrown by this man. He picked me up by the hair and threw me to the ground with so much force. No child should have to witness their parents being attacked. My two girls were petrified and I really feared for their safety. He opened the door where my daughter was sitting and I was concerned he would drag her out of the car. Mentally this has scarred me. It's been a really traumatic event in our lives. Children should not be exposed to violence like that.
The female victim said Kirkham was 'unhinged' and 'out for blood', adding that the attack has had a massive impact on her family and left the children petrified. It remains unknown what specific charges Kirkham has faced in court, the outcome of any sentencing, or what medical treatment the victims required.