Torture victim is 'back from dead'

The 51-year-old made an emotional return to work at the Two Ronnies Tattoo Studio, in Clarence Street, for the first time since the horrific attack at his house in Hull.

In scenes reminiscent of the ultra-violent Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs, three barbaric raiders wearing "joke" masks tied him to a chair and hacked off his ears with a craft knife. They tortured him for more than 30 minutes before escaping with his £25,000 life savings.

Steve, also known as Stephen Hunter, who has now moved to York to live with a friend, says he is in constant pain and requires hospital treatment twice a week.

He needed more than 100 stitches in his head and face and 12 in his groin after the attack. Surgeons also had to attach the severed parts of his ears to his stomach to try to regenerate the cartilage.

There is only a slim chance plastic surgeons can repair the damage. "I've had no money coming in so I had to reopen the studio," he told the Evening Press.

"I've just got to get on with it."

Steve, who has been a tattoo artist in York for more than 21 years, has hired two guest tattooists, Zoe and Kai Pearce, to help him out at the studio until he fully recovers.

"I want whoever did this to me to be brought to justice," he said.

"I can't remember anything hurting at the time. It was such a shock to discover how many injuries I had.

"But I want people to know that I'm back up and running.

"I feel like I'm back from the dead."

Steve came within a whisker of being burned alive after the gang poured petrol over his head and groin. His life was saved when they failed to ignite a cigarette lighter.

"I can't stay in my house in Hull because I had to dump a lot of stuff because the blood ruined everything," added Steve, who planned to use the £25,000 to buy a retirement home abroad.

"I'm in pain constantly."

A spokesman for Humberside Police said today that inquiries were continuing into the attack.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, May 05, 2004