One punch attack victim backs calls for tougher sentencing
Wayne Urwin, from Blaydon, was the victim of an unprovoked assault in 2014
Last updated 11th Dec 2017
A Blaydon man, who was the victim of a one punch attack, is backing calls for tougher sentences for the crime.
Wayne Urwin was the victim of an unprovoked attack in 2014 - he had to be put in a coma as a result of the injuries.
The man who attacked him served a ten month prison sentence for the crime.
It comes as the action group One Punch North East visit Parliament to get tougher sentencing guidelines in place.
Speaking to Metro, Wayne said:
"I was extremely annoyed - I was only a year and a half into my recovery and the guy who'd caused catastrophic injuries to myself was getting on with his life.
"I lost a job - a good job, I was a warehouse manager and I've never worked since. I'm on benefits, which I was never on previously - I'd worked since I was 15 years old.
"It was like I'd already been attacked once and I was continuing to be attacked by the system afterwards because as far as I'm concerned, the justice system is an embarrassment."
One Punch North East say they're lobbying parliament for a full parliamentary debate on improving sentencing guidelines - and have started a petition on the parliamentary website to make that debate even more likely.
You can sign that petition here.