Victim speaks out after attacker jailed

A man brutally attacked by a stranger while on a night out in Clacton three years ago has spoken about the lasting impact it’s had.

He said: “Having to explain to my children that their dad was attacked on a night out for no reason has been heart-breaking.”

Thanks to the hard work of detectives from our Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the man responsible was jailed earlier this month after admitting to carrying out two violent attacks.

Officers were called to Bentley’s Bar in Clacton around 1am on Sunday 10 February 2019.

They found a man in his 30s, local man Paul Filtness, with a serious slash wound to his face. Despite urgent medical treatment in hospital, the injury proved to be life-changing.

He had been attacked by 27-year-old Zac Jagger, a complete stranger, who hit Paul in the face while his back was turned with a home-made weapon, a sharp belt wrapped around his wrist.

Paul, from Clacton, said:

“I know that I’m really lucky - the feeling is coming back in my face and my speech hasn’t been affected, but every time I look in the mirror, I’m reminded of what happened.
“Even though the wound has healed it’s still sensitive and some days it can be painful, like when it’s cold.
“And what people can’t always see is the mental impact it’s had. I became really unwell the year after it happened and still have regular counselling to help with my mental health.
“Having to explain to my children that their dad was attacked on a night out for no reason has been heart-breaking."

Through our investigation, evidence showed that Jagger had also driven a car at a group of people in 2021 following an altercation in Orwell Road, Clacton, around 3am on Sunday 14 November.

During the incident, a young woman was injured and taken to hospital.

On Monday 14 February, Jagger plead guilty to two counts of wounding with intent, affray, dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice at Chelmsford Crown Court.

When talking about the hearing, Mr Filtness said:

“I’m under no illusion – I know Jagger didn’t admit to attacking me to do the right thing.
“My life has been on pause for nearly three years and he could have owned up at any point.
“To this day, I still ask myself why anyone would leave the house carrying a weapon other than to hurt someone.
“I just can’t imagine what type of person would ever make that decision.
“I still have to get up and go to work every day, carry on and put what happened to me aside, but that didn’t even enter Jagger’s mind when he attacked me.
“I still don’t think he’s shown any remorse and a person like that needs to be behind bars.”

On Wednesday 10 August, Jagger, of Alton Park Road, Clacton, was sentenced at the same court to six years imprisonment and an additional four on extended license.

Mr Filtness attended court to hear the verdict and said that although no sentence would ever make up for his attack, he’s thankful for the investigation and that Jagger will rightfully serve time in prison.

He said:

“I’m glad we’ve finally reached a conclusion, but I don’t think any amount of time will make up for what he did to me, or what he did to anyone else.
“My best friend of over 30 years, Daniel Findlay, was with me that night and he’s still by my side to this day. We’ve gone through it together and support each other, which has made it that little bit easier.
“I don’t want this to define me and I don’t want Jagger to take away any more of my life.
“Now I can focus on healing mentally and being the best dad I can be to my two kids, who are my world.”

Investigating officer for Paul’s case, Detective Sergeant Dan Jeffries, said:

“Jagger committed a truly violent and unprovoked attack, where he assaulted a complete stranger enjoying his night out with a friend.
“His actions left Paul with life-long physical and emotional injuries, which rippled out to his family and friends and left a lasting impact on the Clacton community.
“I want to thank him for his strength and determination in supporting this case through to the courts, and I know he will want to thank his friends and family for their support.
“I hope this allows Paul to start the next chapter in his life, knowing that the person responsible is behind bars.”

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