Grandfather (62) still recovering at home following Ardersier incident
A 62-year-old grandfather is recovering at home after undergoing surgery for injuries in an incident at Ardersier two weeks ago.
Tour guide Iain Denham has been left with a permanent plate in his jaw after it was broken in two places and is currently having to eat pureed food and take painkillers.
Mr Denham has reiterated a previous appeal for people to help police officers as they continue their inquiries into the incident which happened about 8.10pm on Friday, September 27 in the High Street.
Grandfather (62) awaiting surgery following Ardersier incident
14-year-old charged after Ardersier ‘serious assault’
Mr Denham, a father-of-three and grandfather-of-four, is a freelance professional tour guide from the Stirling area and conducts tours all over Scotland.
After dropping off his American clients at their hotel, he went back to Ardersier for an evening walk along the sea front and says he became aware of a rowdy group of youths.
The situation later spiralled out of control and he was subsequently taken to Raigmore Hospital and later transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment to his injuries which also included cuts to his head.
“I can’t thank the NHS enough - from Inverness to Aberdeen,” he said.
Mr Denham said the doctor in Raigmore’s accident and emergency department had referred him to Aberdeen where he described the surgeon and his team as “first class”.
“He took me through what was happening,” said Mr Denman, who was in the Aberdeen hospital for three days.
“It was a very smooth process.”
As he continues his recovery at home, he said: “I am on painkillers and it is lessening every day.
“There is swelling around my eye and I can still feel swelling around my jawline where surgery took place.
“I cannot chew because my jaw is not sufficiently healed so I have to have everything pureed.
“I will have a plate in my jaw forever - the plate and screws were put in place to hold my jaw together to allow the bone to knit together.”
He said the impact had also left family and friends, particularly his grandchildren, upset and shocked.
Mr Denham speculated that the costs arising from the incident could arise to tens of thousands of pounds for taxpayers.
He cited factors such as the initial callout of police officers, a telephone consultation with NHS24, doctors, nurses and an X-ray team at Raigmore Hospital, the ambulance transfer from Inverness to Aberdeen which involved half a day for two crew members plus the surgical team, nurses and auxiliaries at Aberdeen.
Mr Denham also cited the costs to himself and his family.
“There is the loss of business to me,” he said.
“I have not been working since it happened - I will but I don’t feel in the right frame of mind to go touring with guests,” he said.
“I am still in pain.”
He also said his son had to take a day off work to travel to Ardersier to collect his car while there were hotel costs for his wife and daughter who travelled to Aberdeen.
“It is a huge amount of money for society which could have been wholly preventable,” Mr Denham said.
He remains unsure as to how long his recovery will take.
“Ardersier is a lovely place to walk about,” he said.
“If I go back, I would go back in the hours of day light.”
A 14-year-old male youth has been arrested and charged in connection with a serious assault in Ardersier.
