A tourist who says he was nearly killed after a violent mugging in the UK has finally returned home four years later.
Ben Finlan, from Toronto in Canada, was reportedly attacked while waiting for friends outside a bar in central London on December 3, 2018.
He was rushed to hospital after being found by pedestrians bleeding from his head on the pavement, having suffered multiple skull fractures.
Medics told his family and girlfriend, Katherine Smith, to fly to London immediately because they were unsure whether he would make it through the night.
Ben underwent an emergency brain decompression surgery where part of his skull was removed, but this led to complications after the titanium mesh it was replaced with became infected.
Posting to TikTok, Katherine said: "Ben was attacked and mugged in London, England in December 2018.
"His mum got a phone call from the London police as well as the Canadian Embassy to let us know that Ben was in a life-threatening condition.
"He was in critical care in the ICU there due to a severe brain bleed, so they called us and told us to get there right away because they weren't sure whether he was going to make it through the night.
"The the surgeons called us and asked if they could actually remove his skull to take some of the pressure off his brain because it was swelling so much from the bleeding.
"We obviously said okay, and took the overnight flight to England the next day."
She continued: "So from there Ben was in a coma for 10 days, and he was eventually moved out of the ICU, and we were in the UK for about five weeks until we flew back to Canada and he went to rehab here.
"He was doing really well and then he started to decline again, so we had to go back to the hospital. Ben continued to decline really quickly so we had to put in a titanium mesh plate.
"Because he didn't have a skull, the skin was starting to push down on his brain from the atmospheric pressure, so we put in a temporary skull to try and relieve that pressure.
"Unfortunately the skin and mesh became intertwined and he developed an infection, so we had to take out the mesh as well as a lot of the skin."
Ben's skull was replaced several times over the next four years, and he underwent 65 surgeries which left him with scarring on his head, wrists and legs.
His attackers are believed to still be at large.
Katherine said: "But he's doing fantastic now and is in rehab. Once upon a time they didn't think he was going to survive and here he is.
"The people who did this to Ben were never caught but we're not focused on those losers - we're focused on Ben's recovery."
Ben's mum and Katherine moved to London during his recovery, re-allocating funds that were due to go towards a condo for the couple.
He finally returned home on March 2, and is scheduled to have another operation in a few weeks to remove the excess muscle on his neck.
A GoFundMe page, which has raised over £93,000 ($156,500 CAD) for him, said in an update: "For those of you who do not follow us on social media we wanted to let you know that after 4 year, 3 months, 65 surgeries, and countless sleepless nights, on March 2nd Ben moved home!
"The journey that is TBI is not over though, Ben will participate in outpatient therapy - physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy - for the next while, and will undergo another surgery to remove the large portion of excess muscle from his neck.
"We've said a million times before but a process like this is impossible without the love and support of those around you. Especially being a partner in this situation people are quick to praise your patience and advocacy but forget that I would not have been able to do what I have without the army of people who supported me and in turn, supported Ben.
"We are so honoured to finally share this news with you all, and while we still have a long way to go, this is a milestone that we have all waited so long to reach."
The Metropolitan Police was unable to confirm whether it is investigating, nor whether any arrests have been made, as the exact location of the incident remains unknown.
The Mirror has reached out to Katherine for further details.
