Dad-to-be told ‘don’t look’ after hand was hacked off by hitman with a machete

A dad-to-be had his hand ‘hacked off’ by a balaclava-clad hitman, wielding a two-foot machete, during a violent attack.

Ryan Brown from Edinburgh was attacked moments after stepping outside his front door.

The labourer attempted to protect himself by throwing his arms up, but the machete cut through his flesh and left his right hand hanging off.

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The 28-year-old also sustained blows to his legs as the gang member attempted to sever his legs at the knee, before fleeing the scene.

The attacker is understood to be a henchman linked to a well-known cocaine kingpin involved in a violent feud with a rival gangster, the Daily Record reports.

Ryan believes his attacker was spooked by a neighbour who came out to investigate the commotion.

He said: “I looked at my hand and it seemed back to front. A friend, who’s a medic, ran over and he said, ‘Ryan, don’t look’.

“He held my hand which was hanging by a tiny bit of flesh. I was in shock.”

The attack occurred at approximately 10.10pm on January 5 and is being treated by police as an attempted murder.

Ryan was rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where he underwent a 12-hour operation as surgeons attempted to re-attach his severed hand.

The dad-to-be, who is expecting his first child in April, will spend months in the hospital undergoing further surgery and rehabilitation.

Ryan told the Record: “I’m not involved in drugs, gangs or criminality and this is what happened to me.

“I feel lucky to be alive but the pain is unreal. I have nightmares every night where people chop my legs off.”

He told how he noticed two men staring at his home and went to confront them.

He continued: “One man jumped out wearing a balaclava. He was muscular, about 5ft 8in and walked so calmly towards me with a huge machete. It was about the length of my arm and it was down at his side.

“He didn’t say anything and started hacking at me. I put my hand up to defend myself and he was hacking away.

“It struck my hand but he was going for my face. He hit me about 10 times. He was genuinely trying to kill me.

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“I fell to the ground, screaming for help and he stabbed me in the hip, then started hitting my kneecaps several times. He was trying to take my legs off.

“He struck my hand another four times. When the paramedics arrived, one of them was holding my hand and it came away and dropped to the ground.”

Although surgeons were able to reattach Ryan’s hand, he says he can’t feel his fingers and he will never be able to straighten it or make a fist.

Detectives said a blue Ford Focus ST was discovered burnt out at Fyles Farm, Tranent, East Lothian, on January 7, while a VW Golf was found torched at Howe Dean Path, Braid Hills, Edinburgh, on the same day.

Police Scotland have been contacted for comment.

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