A HEARTBROKEN Spennymoor mum has spoken of her devastation after one vicious punch left her son with horrific life-changing injuries.
After Scarborough man Jamie Kelly was punched in the head, he lost half of his skull while neurosurgeons were treating a bleed on his brain at Hull Royal Infirmary.
Jamie, 41, is showing slow yet encouraging signs of improvement, but the severity of his injuries means he is likely to require specialist care for the rest of his days.
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The man responsible for Jamie’s condition is Daniel George Johnson, aged 32, of Cromwell Terrace, Scarborough.
At precisely 1.28pm on September 16 last year, Johnson punched Jamie in the head while they were near a pedestrian crossing on Ramshill Road, Scarborough.
Johnson was arrested nearby and was later charged with Section 18 wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
However, the court accepted a guilty plea to the lesser charge of Section 20 grievous bodily harm.
Johnson was sentenced to two years and five months’ imprisonment at York Crown Court today (March 7).
In emotional victim impact statements read to the court, Jamie's parents shared their grief over their son's lasting injuries following the awful attack.
Speaking of the moment she heard the devastating news, Jamie's mum Brenda, who lives in Spennymoor, said: "I felt completely numb, all I could think was that I was going to lose my boy - this sort of thing is what you hear about happening to other people, which is heart-breaking in itself, but never in a million years do you think it would happen to your family, especially your child."
She added: “Before he could be transferred, he needed to be put in an induced coma for his own safety - he was in a critical condition.
“I was an emotional mess on the phone, all I could imagine was that Jamie wasn't going to wake up and that I might never see my son alive again."
Brenda said that she couldn't leave the house and was breaking down in tears all the time knowing that her son was fighting for his life in hospital and she couldn't visit due to Covid restrictions.
She said: "I was in such a state. I felt like I was in a different world - I was here...but I wasn't, I was like a zombie.
"My husband was my rock, if it wasn't for his support trying to function from one day to the next, it would have been even harder."
It was only when Jamie was transferred to the High Dependency Unit at York Hospital more than two months after the attack that Brenda could finally see her son.
She said: “Seeing Jamie for the first time was a massive shock to the system.
"My eyes were immediately drawn to his head.
“I expected his head to be bandaged but it took my breath away to see that it looked like he only had half of his head.
“I didn't expect the amount of his skull missing to be as severe as it looked.
"He looked like his head was sunken on one side.
“He had a tracheotomy as well as a feeding tube fitted.
"The anti-seizure medication and damage done to his brain meant that he was in a constant deep sleep.
“Looking at my boy so helpless was extremely emotional, the tears running down my face wouldn't stop.
“I was happy to see Jamie but that was over-shadowed by the heartache we were going though as a family.
Brenda added: “When I look at my son what I should see, what I want to see, is a strong, fit, happy independent 41-year-old man.
“But all I do see, due to a violent punch that Daniel Johnson inflicted on him, is a shell of a man.
"A man who has to drink from a non-spill sippy cup, who needs help eating because of tremors wrack his entire body.
"He can't go to the toilet or shower himself.
“My son needs to learn to walk again because Daniel Johnson decided he would punch him, obviously intending to hurt him.
“Jamie has so many mountains to climb due to medical issues caused by Daniel Johnson.
“What our family has gone though, and is still going through, is senseless.
“This is all because one so-called man thought that violence was OK.
“Does Daniel Johnson realise that his actions alone have ensured my son has life limiting injuries?
“Jamie needs justice, I need justice, my family needs justice.
“One punch - that's all it took to destroy my boy’s life as he knew it.”
Jamie’s dad, Michael Kelly, also shared a devastating victim impact statement in which he described being in 'a very dark place' after being told his son was critically injured.
He described the unimaginable impact that one punch has had on his son, telling the court that Jamie still cannot get out of bed and into the wheelchair by himself.
Michael added: “At times Jamie gets very confused. His eyes have been severely affected and are now in the corner of the eye socket.
“Jamie is not able to focus on anything and is now suffering severe double vision.
“Jamie’s skull flap has still not been replaced and doctors can’t say when it can be fitted.
“It is also possible that it can’t be replaced, and he might have to have a titanium plate fitted instead.
“With no skull flap to hold it, Jamie’s scalp has dropped that much half of his head is missing.
"He now has to wear a special padded cap whenever he is moved."
Detective Constable Peter Day, of Scarborough and Ryedale CID, led the investigation into the assault and has provided support to Jamie’s parents throughout this ordeal.
Speaking after Johnson's sentencing he said: “This has been a truly horrendous experience for Jamie and especially for his parents who thought they were going to lose their son.
“No outcome at court will undo the devastation that Johnson caused with one punch."
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