A teenage karate enthusiast has told how she fought back after she was knocked out by a hooded man in a daylight attack.

16-year-old Shannon Stacey was walking along a path close to her home in Teesside, North-Eastern England, around lunchtime last Fridaywhen she noticed a large branch on the ground blocking her path.

As she bent down to move it, her attacker jumped out from nearby bushes and punched her in the face so hard that she blacked out and fell to the ground.

“It didn’t know what to think at first; everything went dark and I could hear a buzzing sound before I saw a man stood over me. It was then I realised he had punched me,” said the 16-year-old.

The attacker, who was wearing a snood type scarf covering his face and grey gloves, demanded Shannon handed over her phone, money and shopping bags, but the brave teen refused.

16-year-old Shannon Stacey

“My reaction was to say no. I was in complete shock. He hit me again, and told me to hand over my bags so I threw one at him, and I was trying to block his punches. He had me pinned to the ground,” the teenager said.

Shannon, who has a brown belt in karate, managed to fight off the thug before running home just yards away.
“I kicked and punched as much as I could and he eventually stopped,” Shannon added.

“I was screaming as loud as possible which I think must have scared him off.”

The attacker fled empty handed on a red and white bike towards a nearby shopping centre. Police are looking for anyone with information to come forward.