A man said his life 'has been falling into pieces' after an attack that left him scarred and disabled for life. Dominic Walker, who worked as a painter and decorator, said he still has 'nightmares and sweats' after his colleague slashed his face with a Stanley knife.
The 35-year-old, from Clifton, has spoken of the ordeal which left part of his face paralysed. Mr Walker said he left his career due to his disability - and his life has spiralled ever since.
He spoke to Nottinghamshire Live as his attacker Steven Brett was sentenced to two years in prison for wounding, less 363 days on a qualifying curfew and days in custody. Brett, 34, previously from Main Street, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to wounding in Grantham Road, Bingham, on January 18, 2021.
Read more: A1 was closed after crash in early hours in Nottinghamshire
Speaking of the frightening incident that left him scarred for life, Mr Walker said: "My life changed because I did have a high paying job, which I was qualified for. I had my own van, I was decorating.
"I have two daughters, I had a partner and a house. Now I am currently living in my mum's back bedroom."
Mr Walker explained that he and his ex-partner had decided to split up because of "the stress". He was stressed that he will never be able to do the job he has qualifications for.
"I was earning £44,000 as a decorator", he added. "I took a job that was £21,000 and I was still with my family then. I was using my savings to cover the loss, because when you build a career you live by your means.
"But then we could not keep up financially. I was the breadwinner, I was earning good money. I could take my family on holiday.
"Then I had to take a secondary job and it just mentally destroyed me. I could not even go out and buy my children trainers because he stabbed me in the face."
He said that the incident left 25 percent of his face paralysed. Mr Walker is awaiting further operations to his face and estimates he's lost £67,000 in earnings since the incident.
The dad of two said he would have wanted to attend Brett's sentencing, however, he claimed he was not aware that it took place on January 24. He added: "I wanted to go to court because I feel like I need to put my point across. I have got £67,000 loss of earnings because of my career."
Mr Walker said that he is due to have a psychological evaluation. He added: "I feel like I have not got closure. I have nightmares. I have sweats. I wake up some nights because of the thought that I have to protect my neck. I do not go out anymore.
"It is breaking me mentally. It is destroying me."
Brett was sentenced to two years in prison for wounding, less 363 days on a qualifying curfew and days in custody. Judge Stuart Rafferty, King's Counsel, ordered he serve half of his sentence before his release on licence - meaning his time in prison willl be about one year. Sentencing, the judge said: "Within seconds you would have seen what you had done because his face would have opened like a melon."
READ NEXT:
We walked around Nottingham to see how many vapes we could find - and left with a bag half full
The 1975 singer Matty Healy chews on raw meat in surreal show at Motorpoint Arena
How police tracked down crime gang which flooded drugs from Nottingham stash house
Nottinghamshire Police hunt for wanted man in relation to 'harassment incident'
