Son is living ‘life sentence’

Reece Roberts with mum Milissa Roberts shortly after an operation to have frontal skull bones removed to ease pressure on his brain

Reece Roberts, 26, desperately clung to life after he was attacked by 28-year-old Thomas Field outside a bar in Queen Street, in September 2013.

The Blackpool and The Fylde College student had been out drinking with friends when he was knocked unconscious, struck his head on the pavement and was left needing emergency treatment to reduce the build up of blood on his brain.

Field, of Rushton Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and was jailed for 20 months.

Two years on from the attack and dozens of operations later, Reece, is living in Amber Court Care Home in Marton still facing a long road to recovery.

His mum Milissa Roberts, said: “The man who did this is now out of prison living his life. The police came to see me and they told me he was even living in Blackpool.

“What he did to Reece is a life sentence. He will never be 100 per cent himself again.

“But his attacker is out and about - it’s not fair.

“Reece has come on brilliantly in the last year or so but it’s a long road ahead.

“He isn’t able to come home. He needs specialist care and facilities that we just don’t have here.

“My house is not suitable but finding one that is, is proving really difficult.”

During his recovery Reece, a massive Manchester United fan, needed to have frontal bones removed from his skull to reduce pressure, but complications set in.

He suffered a fall in Blackpool Victoria hospital, but a doctor felt that the assault had caused a significant brain injury.

He will be on medication for the rest of his life.

Milissa, of Lakeway Avenue, Layton said it her family’s dream to get Reece home ‘where he belongs’.

The mum-of-three said: “Reece is amazing he has taken to being in a wheelchair really well. He is even talking now.

“But the truth is we nearly lost him several times.

“We really just want to get him home where he belongs. That’s what I’m concentrating on - finding a bungalow that would suit his needs.”

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