Qld: Police hopeful of arrest over axe attack on music student

00-00-0000
Qld: Police hopeful of arrest over axe attack on music student

BRISBANE, Aug 1 AAP - Police are hopeful a breakthrough in the case of a music studentwho had his fingers hacked off during a Brisbane home invasion will lead to an arrest.

Detective Inspector Ben Hanbidge yesterday said police had made a breakthrough in thecase after they discovered a car believed to be connected with the attack.

The 1993 red Honda Civic, which was located following information passed on from NSWpolice, was stolen from the Gold Coast area on June 22.

Police also have information the car, with distinctive gold mag wheels, was fittedwith Queensland registration plates 794 FYU which were believed to have been stolen fromIpswich, west of Brisbane.

Insp Ben Hanbidge said while he could not expand on the details, he was "confident"

of solving the case.

"We believe we do know what the motive is now behind the attack and we are followingup a number of certain lines of inquiry," Insp Hanbidge told reporters yesterday.

"At this stage the investigation is at a fairly delicate stage.

"The discovery of this vehicle is a fairly big breakthrough in our investigation."

The news comes as the victim, Phil Evans, 20, recovers at Royal Brisbane Hospital wheresurgeons managed to reattach two of his three severed fingers.

The gifted saxophonist was the victim of an attack carried out by two unidentifiedmen at his Herston home on the night of July 21.

Two of Mr Evans' flatmates were also assaulted, bound and gagged and had petrol poured over them.

Hospital staff today said Mr Evans was pleased with the progress of his recovery andsaw his hand on Wednesday for the first time since the attack.

AAP ch/sjb/de

KEYWORD: FINGERS DAYLEAD