A father-of-two has described the terrifying moment a stranger threw an unknown liquid in his face during a pub brawl, leaving him with severe burns and post-traumatic stress disorder.
‘I thought I was dying’
Adam Tickner, 33, an assistant headteacher from Sittingbourne, Kent, was enjoying drinks with his wife and friends at Ye Arrow in Rochester in September 2025 when a violent confrontation erupted. The incident began when a stranger punched one of Mr Tickner's friends.
"I went over and saw another guy run toward my friend," Mr Tickner recalled. "I pushed him away and had that substance thrown at my face." He immediately collapsed to the floor. "My eyes were stinging and my mouth was swollen - I lost consciousness," he said. Emergency services, including the fire brigade, hosed him down for around 30 minutes before he was taken by ambulance to Medway Hospital.
He remained in hospital for four days, being treated for burns to his face, eyes, mouth, and throat. Medical staff delivered a chilling assessment. "The doctor said if [the substance] had gone down my throat, I wouldn't be here today," Mr Tickner revealed. "Other doctors said, 'You are so lucky to be alive'. I thought I was dying."
A controversial court outcome
His attacker, 23-year-old Alfie Russell from Hornchurch, East London, was initially charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH). However, following negotiations between the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and his legal team, he later pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of actual bodily harm (ABH) and affray.
Earlier this month, at Maidstone Crown Court, Russell was handed a 45-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,000 in compensation, with £1,200 going to Mr Tickner.
The victim expressed fury at the sentence and the handling of the case. He was particularly angered after being informed the substance was officially downgraded to hand sanitiser. "They said it was a corrosive substance, but the police can't take it as that, even though that's what the doctors diagnosed it as," he stated.
Police and CPS response
Kent Police confirmed the liquid was tested at the scene and "no traces of an acidic or alkali substance were identified." They added that the water used by first responders to treat Mr Tickner had rendered his clothing "unusable for evidential enquiries."
Detective Chief Inspector Beverley Morrison said the victim's safety was the priority during the emergency response. She explained the charge was amended based on the evidence available, leading to Russell's guilty plea.
A CPS spokesperson said: "We recognise this attack was deeply distressing for Mr Tickner. Following review, it was clear there was no forensic evidence to prove the type of substance used in the attack. We then amended the charges to actual bodily harm and affray, which reflected the injuries and the seriousness of the crime."
Mr Tickner, who says he now suffers from severe PTSD, feels profoundly let down. "I was expecting him to be jailed," he said. "We were just having a catch-up, and it ended like that." He also revealed he only discovered the sentencing hearing date by chance online and was not formally notified of the charge amendment.
