THE DAD of a teacher from the district who was left a coma after being attacked in Thailand has welcomed the jailing of the British man who carried out the attack.

The decision to imprison expat Sean Henry Tinsley was taken by Appeal judges in the Far East country.

Adam Pickles’ father Andrew had expected an agonising wait of up to 18 months after submitting an appeal to judges against their original decision to acquit his son’s alleged attacker.

Mr Pickles received the news in an 5am call from his legal adviser in Thailand at the Prachaya Law Office and Business.

He said: “We hoped for such a decision, but things in Thailand are very unpredictable. We knew the verdict was about to be given, but we didn’t know which way it would go.

“In a way it gives us some completion. We’ve wanted all along for the man who did this to be caught, charged and committed.

“Tinsley has a right of appeal, but whether he will not we don’t know. For now we’re happy with the outcome.”

Married father-of-one Adam Pickles, who is in his early 40s and from Keighley, was attacked in the Thai resort of Pattaya three years ago while in the country teaching English.

Tinsley, of Wolverhampton, was accused of striking Adam with an iron bar during a road rage incident.

Following the attack Adam, a former Bradford Grammar School student, was flown back to the UK and spent six months at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability.

He is continuing to receive treatment at a respite centre in York, where his progress on recovery is slow but hopeful.

Following the court case last year, Adam's parents, Andrew and Adele, spent several months waiting as the verdict was repeatedly delayed. In September last year Mr Tinsley was acquitted.

Mr Pickles then began working with his legal team to put together an appeal against the court judgement, frequently travelling between Bangkok and Pattay.

The appeal was heard behind closed doors by three senior judges.

Mr Pickles said Tinsley was finally found guilty in a Thai court Wednesday, November 4 and sentenced to six years imprisonment, and to pay compensation of 6.2 million baht.

In an email from his solicitor, this week, Mr Pickles was warned to be ready in case Tinsley submitted an appeal.

The lawyer wrote: “Tinsley has his right to appeal in the Supreme Court within 30 days and he can extend that for another 30 days.”