October 18th 2024.
Nineteen-year-old Ella Dowling was on her way home one evening when she was viciously attacked by a man on the bus. The man, identified as fifty-three-year-old Darren Taylor, began making inappropriate comments about Ella and her friends before suddenly grabbing her face and biting her nose and mouth. The attack lasted for what must have felt like an eternity for Ella, lasting around five minutes. In that time, she and her friends managed to break free from Taylor's grasp and seek help from other passengers on the bus. They were able to hold him until the police arrived and arrested him for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The extent of Ella's injuries was severe, requiring her to undergo emergency surgery at Gloucester Hospital after initially being treated at Cheltenham Hospital. She needed fifty stitches to repair the damage caused by the horrific attack. Her lip and left nostril were severely injured, and her right lip was split open. Doctors have warned her that she may be permanently scarred, and her recovery will take time.
The attack has left a lasting impact on Ella, both physically and emotionally. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cannot bring herself to take the bus anymore for fear of being attacked again. Even leaving her house is a challenge, and she always has to be on the phone with someone for comfort and security. Eating and drinking can also be painful as she still experiences discomfort on one side of her face.
Ella's attacker, Darren Taylor, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail in July 2024. He was also given a lifelong restraining order. However, he has since launched an appeal against his sentence, which has only added to Ella's trauma and setbacks. She describes the attack as a permanent reminder of what happened and feels like she has to learn to live with the disfigurement on her face.
According to Ella, Taylor was intoxicated and made lewd remarks about her appearance before attacking her. She and her friends had already noticed his strange behavior when they got on the bus, but things escalated quickly. As the bus reached its final stop, Taylor attacked Ella, biting her mouth and nose and leaving her with severe injuries. She recalls being unable to scream as he had her lip in his mouth and feeling the shock and pain as her clothes were covered in blood.
Taylor claimed that he was not a well man and must have lost control, expressing remorse for his actions. But Ella's injuries speak for themselves. She had to undergo a two-and-a-half-hour reconstructive surgery at the NHS, and doctors have warned her that she may be scarred for life. Detective Constable Sophie McGough, who worked on the case, described Ella's injuries as some of the worst she had ever seen.
Despite the physical and emotional toll the attack has taken on her, Ella is determined not to let it define her. She sees herself as a survivor, not a victim, and is slowly rebuilding her life. She had to postpone her studies at Portsmouth University and move back home for a year, but she has since returned to her studies and is hopeful for the future. She refuses to let the attack change her bubbly and outgoing personality, but acknowledges that it will take time to heal from such a traumatic experience.
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