Wife's guilt over coma husband

8:59am Monday 12th May 2008

THE wife of a man who was left in a permanent coma after being punched at a party spoke of her guilt, as his attacker faced a "substantial" jail sentence.

Thomas Hurley, 22, was last week convicted of grievous bodily harm after admitting punching Andrew Williams at a party in Dorchester in February, 2007.

Father-of-one Mr Williams, 37, was punched several times by Hurley and suffered severe injuries when he fell to the floor and hit his head.

Mr Williams, a labourer from Didcot, now requires round-the-clock care in a nursing home and has to be fed through a tube.

In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Mr Williams's wife, Susan, 32, said she felt no satisfaction at the verdict - and even felt some guilt for what had happened.

During the week-long trial at Oxford Crown Court, the jury heard that Hurley, formerly of Dorchester but now living in Portland, Dorset, had followed Mr Williams into the garden of the house in Bridge End because he believed he had been violent towards his wife.

But Mrs Williams, originally from Australia, said her husband had never hit her and their argument had been no more than a drunken disagreement.

She said: "I suppose I feel guilty (but) I know I am not the one that took my hand to him."

Speaking about the verdict, she said: "It is not going to bring Andy back.

"It is like half-grieving really. You can't grieve properly. My life has stopped, it has completely stopped.

"We had tried once before for children, but it wasn't very successful.

"We were supposed to start trying again last year, but all that has gone.

"I visit him every day. I spend most of my time kissing him; trying to get him to respond to me. We have lost him. He is still with us physically. That is why it makes it hard to grieve because he is there in front of you - you can hear his heart beat."

Doctors have told his family he will never wake up and have warned them he is likely to die within five years.

The jury took almost six hours to clear Hurley of grievous bodily harm with intent, but convicted him of a lesser charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. Hurley had denied both charges and claimed he was only acting in self-defence.

Mr Williams's father, Michael, 62, of Dorchester, said: "I don't get any satisfaction from all of this.

"Hurley will get on with his life in a few years. He has made sure my son doesn't have a life and my daughter-in-law doesn't have a future."

Speaking after the verdict, Det Sgt Darren Cartwright, the officer in the case, said: "It is a tragic case with no winners. On the one hand, you have got a relatively young man whose life has been effectively ended and, on the other, you have got a younger man whose life has effectively been ruined for the time being."

Judge Antonio Bueno adjourned sentencing until May 23. Remanding Hurley in custody, he said: "The consequences of this case have been absolutely tragic. You are facing a substantial sentence of imprisonment."