A FAMILY has spoken of the devastation a single punch caused their son and how it changed his and their lives.

Jamie Kelly, 41, was in a coma for weeks as neurosurgeons battled to save his life from a bleed on the brain.

He lost half his skull and is likely to need specialist care for the rest of his life, York Crown Court heard.

Daniel George Johnson, 32, felled him with a single punch in the street at lunchtime on September 16, York Crown Court heard.

He is now serving two years and five months behind bars.

Detective Constable Peter Day, of Scarborough and Ryedale CID, who led the investigation into the assault, 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.

“The victim personal statements of Jamie’s parents were read out in court during the sentencing.

“I urge people to read them and make sure younger members of the family learn from this case.”

Jamie's mother Brenda said; “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.”

She was unable to visit her son in hospital because Covid restrictions only allowed one visitor per patient.

Read her full statement here

Jamie's father Michael Kelly drove more than 9,0000 as he visited his son in hospital daily.

He told York Crown Court: “It is heart-breaking to see my son struggle so hard to have some quality of life and, indeed, we don’t know what the extent of his recovery will be.

“What we do know is that Jamie will have to live with this for the rest of his life, as will we."

Read his full statement here

Johnson, of Cromwell Terrace, Scarborough, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, for which the maximum sentence is five years.

He was initially charged with the more serious offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, for which the maximum sentence is life.

But the CPS accepted his plea to the lesser offence and he was jailed for two years and five months.

Defendants who plead guilty get a discount in their sentence.