[sherrimccharles]

A father has spoken of how he was attacked in a takeaway as he carried his four-month-old baby daughter in his arms.

Paul Kouatchou, 49, claims he was forced to hand his daughter Rubyjoe to staff at the Orient Fish Bar in Exeter to shield her from the blows after a group of three men attacked him.

The attack took place after one of the group knocked into Rubyjoe with his elbow and Mr Kouatchou asked them to apologise.

He was initially forced to defend himself while carrying the little baby in a sling across his chest, before passing her to safety.

Mr Kouatchou, from Exeter, Devon, said: 'I told him, don't you realise you hit my baby? I asked him to say sorry.

'I then went to the other side of the counter to wait for my food and after about ten minutes two of them left and one came over and just started punching me.

'I said what are you doing? I have my baby. But he just kept punching me.

'He would not stop so I cried out in the restaurant for someone to take hold of my baby. There were three other guys in the restaurant but none of them were willing to do it.'

After passing Rubyjoe to safety, he was then able to restrain the offender on a chair while he waited for the police to arrive.

But the man fled when Mr Kouatchou was forced to let him go because his daughter became distressed.

The attack, at around 8.30pm on December 10, lasted around 15 minutes.

Mr Kouatchou added: 'Maybe he didn't like me, as a black man, having the courage to ask him to say sorry for his wrongdoing.

'He didn't make any racial comments but I do think there was an element of that. It was just the way he looked at me - like I was not even a human being.

'I have never had any problems or issues before but this has made me think how can I bring my child up here when there are people like this man around?'

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they were looking for a white male in his 40s, about 6ft tall, of large build, and with a shaven head.

[sherrimccharles]

Im having trouble believing this.

[alpha.first.one]

Your right but why get into a fight while with your child. It was most likly an accident but accusing him set him off.Did you give him a chance or did you already have that chip on your shoulder when you went in. Minus the baby, I would have punched you too for having that stupid thing on your head. At your age you don't need to be wearing running shoes and dressing like tiger woods.

[DiamondSmiles]

Cute baby. She looks like a little doll.

There was a man in the last building in which I worked who wore the same hat. He had a bunch of hair tucked underneath it. I don't know where he was from, but, he was very nice and did have some kind of accent.

[TheCapn]

Looks a bit like the RastaCaps or "Toppah".

Either way, the people who hit him would have looked like thugs, they always do. These people have low iqs and anger management problems..you dont start an argument with them. Especially when holding a baby.

Stupid