Penticton man attacked after answering his door

PENTICTON – A  Penticton man is recovering from bruises and a concussion sustained after being attacked at his front door.

Ken Paton answered a knock on the door of his Westminster Avenue residence around 1 a.m. Monday morning.

“I had just gone to bed,” he said, “I didn’t think about it, I just answered the door.”

There was a man at the door who Paton had seen on his street once or twice. He appeared to be under the influence, and asked Paton for some rolling papers.

“When I told him I didn’t have any, he began hitting me,” Paton said.“ I didn’t fight back, because my daughter was asleep in the room and I was afraid he’d go after her.”

A neighbour heard the disturbance and yelled at the assailant to stop.

“Another neighbour grabbed me and pulled me into his room,” said Paton, who said he received repeated blows to the head and abdomen, as well as a bite on his shoulder.

“My ribs really hurt, “ he said Tuesday after treatment at the hospital. He said he is now suffering from the effects of a concussion, and is anxious all the time. A sign on his door says “Call first! Don’t just knock.”

“The police charged him and released him on a promise to appear,” said Paton, “the fact he did this in front of a child makes no difference.” Paton can’t understand why the police let the assailant go. He said he knew the man’s first name, having seen him in the area of his residence prior to the attack.

Paton, who did not wish his exact location revealed, said he has learned something from the attack.

“Don’t answer the door if you don’t have a peephole,” Paton advised, “unless somebody calls first.”

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.