THE 2017 axe attack on Cameron Brooksbank has captured the public's attention once again after being featured in a documentary.
The BBC's The Detectives: Taking Down an OCG follows Greater Manchester detectives as they attempt to take down the organised crime group responsible for the terrifying assault on the then-teen.
What happened to Cameron Brooksbank in Rochdale?
In October 2017 Cameron Brooksbank, then 18, was attacked after getting into an argument with a fellow driver.
Brooksbank, a tree surgeon, was in a vehicle with colleagues when he got into what has been described as a "minor" road rage row with somebody.
The court would later hear that Habibur Rahman, a member of "The Adam" organised crime croup (OCG), was the instigator of the incident.
BBC Two series The Detectives: Taking Down an OCG documents detectives' attempts to dismantle The Adam OCG, based on the Newbold Estate in Rochdale.
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On the fateful day Brooksbank was attacked in 2017, Rahman is said to have felt "disrespected" by the teen.
He then gathered up to 20 members of his mob to attack Brooksbank, including Mohammed Awais Sajid – also known as ''Skinny''.
The documentary reveals how, upon arriving at the scene, Sajid removed an axe from his trousers and struck Brooksbank in the ribs.
He then swung the weapon at Brooksbank's head, leading the victim to raise his arm to avert the blow.
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Brooksbank was left with his arm almost completely severed by the axe and suffered a huge amount of blood loss.
The attack only stopped when one of Brooksbank's colleagues started a chainsaw they used for work to scare the gang members off.
A call from one of Brooksbank's colleagues to the police is featured in the documentary and reveals how they told the operator that somebody "just took my mate's hand off with an axe".
After the attack Brooksbank was taken to hospital where he received life-saving surgery and had his hand partially reattached.
He then required a further five surgeries in the two years following and was able to maintain just 60 percent use of his arm.
In the BBC documentary, Brooksbank tells police how he was left both physically and mentally scarred by the ordeal.
He recalled: "The first hit was on my left hand side just under my armpit….It went that far in he had to yank it back out.
"I felt something warm and wet.
"As I turned around I saw the axe was about here [at side of head] and I put my arm up.
"The axe went through the top of my wrist and then it shattered my bone."
He added: "I remember absolutely every single second of that day."
Sajid was one of four men jailed for the attack in 2019 and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for committing section 18 assault.
His associate Habibur Rahman was also handed a prison sentence of four-and-a-half years on an assault charge.
Two more members of the gang were jailed on the charge of conspiracy to commit violent disorder, one of which was Habibur Rahman's brother, Zillur Rahman.
Where is Cameron Brooksbank now?
Sadly, during an episode of The Detectives: Taking Down an OCG, it is revealed that Brooksbank passed away earlier in 2023.
Details of his death are not disclosed.
Brooksbank does appear in several episodes of the documentary as police footage from the time of the attack and the 2019 trial are shown.
In the third episode of the BBC series, in a 2019 interview with officers, Brooksbank details the impact that the attack has had on his life since.
He said: "I woke up from the operation and thought everything like my career has gone down the drain.
"I had five operations and got depressed, and tried to do myself in a few times.
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"I took an overdose and was rushed into hospital."
He added: "I am not the same person as I was two years ago and I don’t think I ever will be."
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
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