Sadie Nicholls was attacked after rejecting a group of men’s advances (Picture: Triangle News)

A teenager has been left with fragments of metal stuck in her head after being shot with an air gun while out celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday.

Sadie Nicholls, 18, and her friend Charlotte were attacked by a group of six men after rejecting their advances as they got food at the end of the night in east London.

Sadie, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, and Charlotte had earlier been partying with 11 friends at the Queen of Hoxton club.

About 20 minutes after leaving they were approached by the men at around 1am, one of whom said ‘you are so beautiful’.


Sadie said: ‘I just ignored them with my back to them. Then one put his jacket on me. I said “Get away from me, please leave us alone”. They found it funny and were laughing.



‘About two minutes later a pellet hit my friend’s arm. Her whole arm shook. Then one went in my head. I went onto the floor and blood poured down my head.’

Sadie’s head was covered in blood after the attack in East London (Picture: Sadie Nicholls/Facebook)

She needed three stitches and still has bits of metal inside her head (Picture: Sadie Nicholls/Facebook)

When she regained consciousness one of the men approached her and she shouted ‘get the hell away from me.’

The group then ran off and a witness rushed to help her with one of them flagging down a passing ambulance.

Sadie was taken to hospital where doctors told her it was too dangerous to remove all the pellet that had lodged and shattered in her head.

They also do not know if there will be any lasting damage and she is currently having counselling.

She describes the six men who approached her as being in their 40s or 50s and Eastern European.

The student doesn’t know if there will be any long-lasting damage (Picture: Sadie Nicholls/Facebook)

Sadie has shared a warning on Facebook (Picture: Sadie Nicholls/Facebook)

‘I do think it was linked to them (the men), I think they must have been cross with me because I wasn’t showing any interest,’ she said.

‘I’ve had really bad problems sleeping I’m frightened of someone doing it again. For it to happen to another girl who is more vulnerable, it could have been so much worse.’

In a warning to other women, Sadie added: ‘I would never wish this upon anybody else, please be careful when going out and remember to stay in a large group at all times.

‘Going out and drinking is a regular occurrence for us all and I hope the police catch whoever did it.’

No arrests have been made.

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