Bradford victim of one-punch attack tragically dies

Scaffolder Simon Hackett was punched in the face and knocked to the ground back in September 2015 as he walked home from a night out in Buttershaw.

He suffered catastrophic head and brain injuries which left him totally dependent on nursing care and in and out of hospital for operations.

Simon required round-the-clock care

Simon tragically passed away at the age of 42 earlier this year. He had been battling aspiration pneumonia and he’d had a long stay in hospital. His funeral was held at St John The Baptist Church, in Coley, near Shelf.

Next month will mark seven years since the horrendous attack, but the passage of time has been little comfort for Caroline and the daughter she had with her "soulmate" Simon.

“It’s just been traumatic,” said Caroline. “It has been horrible."

Simon's funeral was held yesterday

She added: “He fought for all these years and he’s at peace now. There’s a lot of people that have followed our story and I want to thank the public and friends for their support.”

In 2016, Jordan Docherty, then 20, was sentenced to four years in a young offender institution, while Caroline and her daughter, who was only 11 at the time, had to face the devastating and life-changing consequences of what happened.

When Docherty was sentenced, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall heard he had previous convictions for violence and public disorder and had been in breach of a community order at the time of the offence.

"This is a case of exceptional gravity," he said.

"Despite the attempts of others, you refused to be calmed.

"You were in a state where violence was likely, and the rest is history.

"The family are fearing the worst. At best, Mr Hackett's life circumstances will be quite shockingly awful, and he may not survive.”

Simon and his daughter

Caroline met with Docherty through the restorative justice programme, which brings together people harmed by crime and conflict and those responsible for it.

She prepared a file of photographs to show the impact of Simon’s injuries.

“He had to digest who Simon was before and what we see now and what he has done,” Ms Sykes said.

The nature of his injuries meant he had to be cared for at the specialist Hollybank Trust in Mirfield, but Caroline had hoped he would be able to come home.

Sadly, that never happened.

A planning application had been submitted for a single-storey extension to the back of their home for Simon, but it was refused and an appeal against the decision dismissed.

Caroline and Simon’s daughter previously spoke to the Telegraph & Argus about the impact of the attack.

She said: “From the age of 11, my world came tumbling down. I was 10 days into high school with an exciting time ahead - getting my education and also meeting new friends.

“That really didn’t happen. My dad, my best friend and my everything was left dying in the road from an unprovoked attack.”

The brave teen said she had a “very different dad who I will always love and cherish forever”.

Caroline and her daughter had many fond memories of how their life was before and remember Simon’s outgoing, hardworking nature.

“Going fishing, going camping, holidays, everything. It definitely helps, you hold on to your memories,” said Caroline.

Following the attack and its devastating impact, Caroline backed West Yorkshire Police’s ‘One Punch Can Kill’ campaign.

“My message would be, if you’re feeling that way inclined, that you’re wanting to hit someone, you’ve got to walk away from it," she said.

West Yorkshire Police said of the campaign: “We want everyone to be able to enjoy the pubs and clubs in the towns and cities in West Yorkshire but would encourage people to consider how much alcohol they consume. 

“What can start out as a fun night drinking with friends can easily turn into a nightmare. 

“Just one punch can ruin the lives of both the victim and the person who throws the punch.

“West Yorkshire Police are committed to tackling violent crime and will continue our efforts to reduce the numbers of victims, but we need people to play their part by thinking about their actions before they get involved in a fight on a night out.”