Man stabbed through armour during historic re-enactment gone wrong
The 37-year-old man from Horsham, West Sussex, was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after the accident at Bodiam Castle on Sunday.
He was a part of a living history demonstration at Bodiam Castle, where volunteers showed what medieval combat may have looked like in full armour.
Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after the man was stabbed through his visor with his opponent's sword.
A Sussex Police spokesperson added: 'He suffered a head injury and he is currently in a serious condition at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.'
DI Barry Chandler said police are treating the incident as accidental and offering support to the victim's family.
'His opponent, a 36-year-old man also from Horsham, and the organisers are helping us with our inquiries,' he added.
'We know the re-enactment had drawn a large crowd and understand that anyone who witnessed the scene could have found this distressing.
'We are appealing to anyone who has photographs or videos of the interaction that led to the injury to contact us so we can gain a clear understanding of what happened.'
Historical reenactment, or living history, as it's also known, first took root in Northern Europe in the 1890s.
As of 2022, there were around 140 reenactment societies in the UK, with around 20,000 enthusiasts devoting their time, money, and expertise to the hobby.
While these groups recreate all periods between the Roman Ages up to the Vietnam War, activities remain broadly similar: camp tasks, arms drill, sentry duties, historical crafts and skirmishes between troops. There's a space for everyone, no matter their interest. More Trending
But the hobby isn't without its dangers. A woman suffered life-threatening injuries in a similar accident in 2020, slicing her throat open with a sword in Kent during a Viking re-enactment.
A witness said at the time: 'They've got proper swords. They were practising and he caught her neck. It really was an accident, a terrible one, so I'm glad she is okay now.'
World War Two re-enactors were injured in 2017 when explosions at Audley End House in Essex went wrong.
The men were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and made a full recovery.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Boy, 9, 'nearly grabbed and then followed' by man in Brighton
MORE: Windrush activists rally government to save Notting Hill carnival
MORE: What I Own: I'm a millionaire with eight properties – my home cost just £396,000
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
Hollyoaks reveals how Jez is caught out as Sienna makes a horrifying discovery
The walls begin to close in on Jez Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) in Hollyoaks next week as Sienna (Anna Passey) starts to piece together the truth about his crimes. The crazed killer has claimed the lives of numerous show favourites, including Dilly Harcourt (Emma Johnsey-Smith) and Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini). He's also to blame for Abe Fielding's (Tyler Conti) demise and that of Bobby Costello (Zak Sutcliffe), as well as murdering social worker Ian Stone. Jez's murderous antics date back decades, with mum Martha (Sherrie Hewson) having covered up for him for years. While Sienna has some inkling of what her twisted biological father is capable of after she helped him dispose of Dilly's body, she remains in the dark about his true penchant for murder. But that all begins to change next week. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As audiences know, there have been ructions in the Blake household in the wake of Jez's twisted relationship with Liberty Savage (Jessamy Stoddart) having been exposed. Jez and Liberty, however, are unfazed it seems, with the former asking the latter to be his partner in the upcoming Hollyoaks in Bloom flower show. The Blakes remain divided about the relationship, though Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin) urges Sienna to support her family. Jez, meanwhile, wants to be a better person for Sienna after everything she's done for him and thus he sets Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham) free for his happy-ever-after with Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence). More Trending But will such a thing come to pass? The jury is still out and, as for Jez, time is running out as Sienna is left confused after discovering that Dilly's DNA was found on Ian and Dennis' evidence. Determined to get answers, she heads to the allotment. However, Jez isn't not there and Sienna spots something in the flower beds – and begins to dig. The scenes in question were previewed in Hollyoaks' Summer Trailer last week and let's just say that they're intense. A showdown follows but will Jez finally pay for his crimes? View More » Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4's streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Hollyoaks re-casts star as character stages return after three years MORE: All 25 soap spoilers for this week as Emmerdale death is confirmed MORE: Hollyoaks confirms major Joel twist that turns everything on its head
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Woman caught at customs with four snakes stuffed down her bra
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the moment staff got a slippery surprise at a ferry port when they went in to investigate what was hidden inside a woman's bra. They noticed a woman trying to rush through Futian Port on the border between mainland China and Hong Kong appearing all flustered. While she told the officials that she had nothing to declare they sensed something wasn't quite right. It turned out that their instincts were correct because as soon as they looked inside the woman's bra something was found… four endangered ball pythons. Video footage shows them placed in socks inside the woman's bra while staff release them onto a table. While the slithering reptiles are fairly small, they appear pretty ferocious as they stare into the camera. After the shock discovery, the officials pulled the woman aside for some questioning. She revealed to them that she was transporting them onto the mainland for a small carrying fee. Staff had no choice but to take the hissing reptiles away from the woman and an investigation is now being carried out. Ball pythons are categorised as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. They are also a protected species in China where it is illegal to keep them as a pet. Surprisingly, this isn't the first time a woman decided to stuff an animal down her bra. More Trending It happened at Miami International Airport last week where a woman was stopped because she had two turtles down there. Tragically, one of the turtles died in the bra. The Transportation Security Administration joked about it all and said in a statement: 'We want you to be able to travel with your pets, and you turtle-ly can, but please travel with them safely.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Frightening new TV series shows what China's invasion of Taiwan could look like MORE: My mum died after getting rabies – here's what you need to know about it MORE: Dinosaur voice box fossil reveals what they sounded like 150,000,000 years ago
BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Two charged with killing a sheep near Ditchling Beacon, South Downs
Two men have been charged with killing a sheep following an incident on the South Downs, Sussex Police said. Police received reports that an animal had been attacked near Ditchling Beacon on the evening of 2 November 2023. Leighton Ashby, 31, of Beckett Road, Ashford, Kent, and Oakley Hollands, 20, of Mussenden Lane, Horton Kirby, Kent, have both been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected pair will appear at Brighton Magistrates' Court on 7 August. Sussex Police confirmed the two men had been students at Plumpton College in East Sussex at the time of the incident but were no longer connected to the college. The force added that the college had fully cooperated with its Rachel Swinney said: "This report was treated with the seriousness it deserved, and a thorough investigation was carried out."We have also engaged with the owner of the sheep, local farmers and the wider community to provide reassurance and advice."I would urge the public not to speculate on the details of this incident while the court process is ongoing."
