Head injury news
20/01/2011

Brain injury man was hit because of stammer

A young man assaulted outside a pub in Sevenoaks, Kent, suffered brain injury when he was hit and fell against a brick wall.

The 20-year-old, who suffers from a stammer, was ordering drinks when a man commented on his speech impediment. A fight between the young man's friends and another group began then, when it continued out into the street, a 21-year-old from the other group hit the victim, whose head struck a brick wall.

The head injury victim was taken to the Kent and Sussex Hospital around half an hour away from where the incident took place. Realising that the man was suffering from a bleed on the brain, which had caused a clot to form, the doctors transferred him to King's College Hospital in London, which was another hour's travel.

The 21-year-old attacker has said that he "just reacted instantly, and [he'd] had a bit to drink" and apologised saying, "Obviously I'm very remorseful. There were so many people, it was hard to tell what was happening."

He has admitted to causing the brain injury victim actual bodily harm and will be sentenced later. Now that the attacker has admitted liability, the young man who suffered injury could decide to make a compensation claim.