A 35-year-old man is lucky to be alive after he was stabbed in the neck and suffered a punctured artery following an argument outside a Roehampton off-licence.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the apparently unprovoked attack on Simon Cullen, a furniture maker from Highgate in north London, which took place outside Danebury Food and Wine, in Danebury Avenue, on Sunday night.

Mr Cullen's girlfriend Lisa Chapman, 30, has been praised by police for her quick thinking in rushing him to hospital a decision thought to have saved his life.

The incident began when the couple were leaving the store after buying a bottle of wine at around 9.15pm.

Mr Cullen, who was staying with his girlfriend in Roehampton for a job interview, said: "This guy just swore at me as I walked out. I asked him why, but I am quite a mellow person and didn't want to say anything else back.

"Then Lisa pulled me out of the shop and I saw he had two friends in his car and thought we should just leave, so I got in our car."

The man followed the couple out of the shop and continued shouting abuse as he approached them. Mr Cullen got into the car and waited for his girlfriend to join him.

"I then got out of the car as I thought if he's going to hit me it would be better if I was outside.

"When I got out there was a scuffle and he threw a punch, I didn't really know what had happened. I saw one of his friends point at me and then all this blood was pumping out and Lisa was screaming.

"Every time my heart beat more blood came spurting out of my neck. I kept feeling my ear thinking where is all this blood coming from?"

Mr Cullen was rushed to Kingston Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and is now recovering at home.

The attacker escaped in a small black car and was accompanied by a man and a woman, who are also black and thought to be in their early 20s.

DC George Dunne, from Wandsworth CID, is appealing for any witnesses to come forward: "This was a very serious attack and it is very fortunate that the man's girlfriend reacted in the way she did and took him straight to hospital, otherwise he may well have died."

The attacker was wearing beige tracksuit bottoms with a black stripe and is 5ft 2in with a slim build.

If you have any information contact DC Dunne on 020 8247 8875.

November 12, 2001 12:00