Family of assault victim Garry Sutton: "Community support has brought us great comfort" (From Bridgwater Mercury)

Family of assault victim Garry Sutton: "Community support has brought us great comfort"

4:20pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News By Matthew Colledge

Garry Sutton

THE family of a man left seriously injured following an assault near his home in Bridgwater have thanked the community for their messages of support.

Father-of-two Garry Sutton, 59, was attacked as he walked to his home in Friarn Lawn following a night out on January 7.

He remains in intensive care in Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

Mr Sutton’s daughter Emma told the Mercury he has made some improvement but has suffered brain damage which could be lasting.

She said: “He did open his eyes and he did seem to recognise us.

“Physically, he is making a lot of progress and is better than we could have hoped, but we are now at that stage, two weeks on, when we are starting to understand the long-term implications.

“The damage to the left hand side of his brain is extensive. It’s a very difficult time for us.”

Emma said she wanted to thank everybody who has sent kind messages following the news of the attack on her father.

She said: “People have been great.

“Friends and family have been incredible and we have had messages and cards from people we don’t know.

“Everybody has been so supportive and it does bring us a great deal of comfort, but as a family we are struggling to come to terms with this.

“We still want people to come forward with information.”

Samuel Joseph Harris, 27, of Longstone Avenue, Bridgwater, has been charged with unlawful wounding and is due to appear at Taunton Crown Court on January 28.