Joe Harker
Police are highlighting the case of a 42-year-old Scarborough man who is likely to require specialist care for the rest of his life after one punch to the head.
On 16 September, 2021, the life of Jamie Kelly was changed forever after he was punched in the head by 34-year-old Daniel George Johnson near a pedestrian crossing.
Johnson was sentenced to two years and five months in prison for grievous bodily harm, while Jamie was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary and lost half of his skull as neurosurgeons were treating him for a bleed on the brain.
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Detective Constable Peter Day led the investigation into the assault and said that no verdict in court could 'undo the devastation that Johnson caused with one punch' as Jamie's parents 'thought they were going to lose their son'.
He urged people to 'learn from this case' and understand that just one punch can change or even end a life.
Jamie's mum, Brenda, said that when she heard what condition her son was in, she was 'incapable of forming a cohesive sentence' and needed her daughter to ring around the family and deliver the bad news.
Due to covid restrictions and her living further away from the hospital than Jamie's dad, she wasn't able to see him for eight heartbreaking weeks, where she lived under the 'constant fear' that her son would die.
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Eventually he was transferred to a hospital in York and she could see him, but said it had been a 'massive shock to the system' to see her son with half of his skull missing.
She said that one punch was 'all it took to destroy my boy's life', while Jamie's father Michael praised hospital staff as they 'saved my son's life numerous times'.
Jamie was later able to have a titanium plate fitted in his head to replace the parts of skull doctors had to remove during surgery.
One punch really can change or end a life as there have been numerous tragic cases where a single hit has been enough to kill someone or leave them with life changing injuries like Jamie's.
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Very often the deadly or destructive punches are thrown over the most minor of issues and very often the person who threw the punch is also left with a deep, unending regret.
There are others who have suffered very similar injuries to Jamie, losing half of their skull from the injuries sustained after being hit once.
You can learn more about the 'Punched Out Cold' campaign here.