A BRAIN-DAMAGED man whose life was “touch and go” after he was viciously attacked on his birthday wants to warn others of the harm just one punch can do.

Craig Richards, from Newport, suffered a bleed to the brain, seizures and a brain infection after he was hit only once to the back of his head, in September this year.

Trainee nurse Mr Richards was heading out to celebrate his 22nd birthday when he fell to the floor during the terrifying and unprovoked assault.

He was rushed to hospital where doctors found he had a subdural haematoma – a serious bleed between the brain and the skull - leaving his life in the balance. 

Doctors even told his family to prepare for the worst, with a chance he “might not pull through”.

He battled on, but four days later, Mr Richards’ brain became infected and the haematoma turned into an abscess, requiring emergency overnight brain surgery. It was then he began suffering from multiple seizures.

Finally discharged, he was treated at home with daily visits from specialist nurses who gave him intravenous antibiotics. 

But last month doctors found the abscess had doubled in size and Mr Richards had to go back to hospital for higher doses of antibiotics and painkillers.

Now, just over two months on from the attack in Cardiff, Mr Richards is again recovering at home, but says his life has been "turned upside down".

He said: “I have had to deal with anxiety and a total loss of independence. 

“I’m showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, experiencing insomnia and anxiety, irritability and highly emotional due to both the frontal lobe damage and also the situation and series of events.

“Throughout the whole experience my family, friends and university friends and staff have been incredibly supportive. 

“However, this doesn’t lessen how the incident has impacted myself and my loved ones. 

“The focal point for me personally, is to raise awareness about how one punch and assaults in general can seriously impact on peoples’ lives."

Mr Richards has also had to take an interruption from study from his training as a nurse because of the assault.

He said: “From one unprovoked punch, my life has been temporarily put on hold. 

“I was due to start my masters next year and due to this I have had to put all of this on hold as well as work, driving and the ability to socialise.

"I'm aware of so many assaults happening in South Wales and I feel deeply that awareness needs to be given to the public of the consequences of these assaults."

On October 23 this year, Ben Emmott, 23, of Knightswell Road, Caerau, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for two counts of assault by beating and two counts of grievous bodily harm for offences committed on September 19, including the assault on Mr Richards. He had pleaded guilty.

From now until March, Mr Richards is hoping to focus on recovering before resuming his university course.