A dad was put in an induced coma after he was assaulted when leaving the pub on a Friday night. John Barton was heading home when the incident happened on February 24.
The 36-year-old was brutally assaulted outside Champs, a pub in Ainsdale, and he sustained two bleeds on the brain as a result. Medics had to place him in an induced coma due to his injuries.
Doctors were forced to withdraw medication after three weeks when his organs started to shut down. John’s mum and his three siblings were told that “he’ll either wake up or he won’t”, the Liverpool Echo reports.
READ MORE:
John’s brother, Anthony, said he was “full of life” before the assault. He said: "He would do anything for anyone. Everyone would say the same thing about him. You could ring him any time and he would come to help you. He was an amazing dad, he would do anything for his daughter.."
Following the attack John, who was a self-employed landscape gardener, now struggled to remember things that happen during the day. The dad even complains that he has no visitors, despite loved ones visiting several times a day.
Anthony said: "He's very forgetful, he doesn't understand that anything is wrong. He wants to go home but he can't understand why he can't. Every couple of days he takes a step forward but then he'll have a bad day. We've not had a chance to think about what's happened to be honest. There's no point in showing the devastation and upset, we just have to stay strong."
Speaking about the night the assault took place, Anthony, 27, said: "He went out on his own and he was on his way home then this happened. I got a call from his mate on the Friday night saying 'your John's on the floor'.
"I didn't even have time to process what was happening. I just got back from the gym, I'm normally asleep by that time but because I'd been to the gym I was dressed and had my shoes on so I jumped in the car. I only live a couple minutes away. I got there and waited for an ambulance with him."
The attack happened just one week before his daughter Harper's eighth birthday. Anthony said that John thinks he’s only been in hospital for a couple of days.
A family friend and John’s former boss, Paul Hodge, has set up a GoFundMe to try and raise as much money for John and his family as possible due to him being self-employed. Anthony said: "Our John worked for Paul a lot growing up and started when he left school.
"We're not the type of people to set something like this up and a few people had offered but we said no. Paul just did it off his own back and we really appreciate it." To read more or donate, click here.
A Merseyside Police spokesperson told the ECHO on Saturday, February 25: "We can confirm that officers are on Liverpool Road in Southport after a man was attacked in the area last night (Friday 24 February). Just after 10.30pm, we received a report that a man was assaulted by another man outside a bar on Liverpool Road.
"The victim, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition. An investigation is underway and witness and CCTV enquiries are ongoing in the local area. A cordon is currently in place on Liverpool Road and Station Road whilst officers continue their enquiries.
"If you witnessed the attack, have any information, took photos of the incident on your mobile phone last night or have CCTV footage please contact police. Anyone who has information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 23000162775."
For more of today's top stories, click here.
READ NEXT:
