Injured Inverness man left 'a shadow of his former self'
A MAN left with life-long disabilities after he was felled by one punch says he cannot look in the mirror without being faced by the impact of what happened.
Colin Tucker suffered serious brain injuries and a broken jaw and still has problems with his mobility, speech, vision and memory as a result of the incident in Inverness in April. The 53-year-old, of Moy, is unable to drive and is unlikely to work again.
The man who punched him walked free from court this week after a jury found a charge of endangering life not proven by majority verdict at Inverness Sheriff Court. Joshua Jack (21), an apprentice heating engineer, of Highfield Avenue, Inverness, lodged a special defence during the three-day trial claiming he thought Mr Tucker was going to hit him during the incident.
He punched Mr Tucker, who fell and struck his head in the city’s Millburn Road, where he was found later by a taxi driver.
Mr Tucker was unable to give evidence in court but in a statement handed to the Inverness Courier he said his life had completely changed.
“I am a shadow of my former self,” he said. “I struggle with simple everyday tasks that I would never have believed if you had told me. I used to be an independent, confident and sociable man with everything to look forward to in life.
“I now sit in the house feeling frustrated that I can’t do the things I used to do, such as not being able to work and contribute to society like I have always valued.
“The only thing I can do while my wife is working is sit in the house all day and watch television. I cannot even read the newspaper.”
Following the case, Mr Tucker’s wife Shirley and their two daughters, Laura and Rachel, spoke of their shock at the verdict.
“We were absolutely distraught,” said Mrs Tucker, a 49-year-old community nurse. “We feel we have been denied justice.
“There has to be greater awareness that your fist is a weapon and it just takes the one punch to absolutely devastate a whole family.”
She said the incident had left emotional, psychological and physical impacts as well as financial consequences.
“Colin was a fit and healthy man,” said Mrs Tucker, who has been married to her husband for 24 years. “He was a family man. We feel we have lost a big chunk of him.
“He used to do very physical work but now he gets very tired.”
As her husband is no longer able to work, she is now the sole breadwinner helping to support her daughters, who are both university students. Laura (25) is doing child and youth studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands while Rachel (21) is studying nursing at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.
“Financially, it is a struggle,” Mrs Tucker said. “We used to have two wages coming in. But there are still all the bills and the mortgage.”
There had also been additional living expenses as she kept a bedside vigil after her husband was transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he underwent two life-saving brain operations.
She is hoping to be awarded a settlement via the criminal compensation scheme but is unsure how much she will receive or how long it will take.
The family also faces the longer-term prospect of having to relocate from their rural home, given Mr Tucker can no longer drive and finds himself isolated.
The family is particularly upset Mr Tucker had not had a voice in court.
“There was no-one to speak for Colin, no character witnesses,” Mrs Tucker said. “Colin is by no means a violent man. His family and friends would vouch for this.
“He is not a drunk and doesn’t go out much at all. He is a peacemaker more than anything else.”
Her husband also felt a sense of guilt and heartbreak that he was no longer able to support his family the way he used to or his elderly father who had undergone heart surgery.
During the trial, Jack claimed self-defence, telling the court he thought he was about to be struck by Mr Tucker, who was drunk and leaning over the barriers near Morrisons supermarket during the incident on April 10.
He delivered the punch after an argument over a cigarette which had been thrown into Jack’s girlfriend’s car after one of its occupants attempted to squeeze Mr Tucker’s backside.
He said he was “devastated” when he learned how Mr Tucker was found by a taxi driver badly injured.
