Police hope for new leads in 2001 attack as woman reveals how life changed

When Clare Carmichael was 36, she was savagely beaten and left for dead in an attempted murder that remains unsolved 25 years later.

The attack at her former home in Kinton, near Leintwardine, in Herefordshire, on the morning of 28 September 2001, left her with severe head injuries, requiring six months in hospital and continuing to affect her daily life years later.

In a fresh appeal issued through West Mercia Police, Carmichael urged anyone with information about the person responsible to come forward.

"So much changed for me on that day, the life I wanted to live was taken away from me," she said.

On the day of the attack, the then 36-year-old, who had just dropped off her two young sons at school, suffered what police described at the time as "horrific" injuries after calling at the house she had recently moved out from.

Detectives said Carmichael had noticed that items had been moved around at the rural property, and she was attacked after making a telephone call to a family member to share her concerns.

Police were contacted at about 09:45 BST because she did not answer her phone, and officers found her unresponsive on the upstairs landing, having suffered significant injuries in a "prolonged and violent" attack.

Years later, she struggles to walk, cannot use her right arm and continues to live with medical complications because of her head injury, including limited vision and several seizures that have led to time spent in hospital.

"The attack took away much of my independence, I have not been able to drive again," she said.

"I struggle with speaking and finding the right words when I'm talking, this frustrates me as I really enjoy talking to people and being social.

"My life has not been what it should have been."

The attack was treated as attempted murder and received widespread media coverage at the time, including a reconstruction on the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

Several suspects were identified during the original investigation, West Mercia Police said, however, no-one has ever been charged and the case remains unsolved.

Appealing to the public to provide information, Carmichael said: "If I was able to talk to the person who did this, I would just want 10 minutes to ask why?

"Why did you do this to me? I would simply like the answer to that one question."

The force's statutory and major crime review team (SMCRT) are now reviewing the investigation, known as Operation Krypton, and have renewed their appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

Det Sgt Amy Kitosi-Isanga, from SMCRT, said even the smallest detail could prove to be crucial.

"We know that someone, somewhere, has information about what happened that morning. It may be something that seemed insignificant at the time, or information that a person has been reluctant to share," she said.

"Over the years, circumstances change and loyalties change. We would urge anyone who knows anything about this incident to come forward and speak with us."

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