Man left with permanent brain injury after single punch from ex-boxer

'It’s so easy to throw a punch and you can ruin so many lives.'

A father-of-three who was punched outside a pub has spoken of his struggle to get his life back after suffering a permanent brain injury.

Chris Harris, 40, from Merthyr Tydfil, was punched once by former professional boxer Daniel Gerrard outside the Vulcan Inn in the town in the early hours of May 2, 2022.

Gerrard, who already had a conviction for the manslaughter of Robert Hurdley after punching and killing him in a fight at a pub in 2012, hit Chris so hard that he immediately became unconscious.

Chris suffered a two-inch fracture to his skull, causing a bleed on the brain, and woke up a day later at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

At first, his wife said he was like a child but he has slowly been piecing his life back together, even though he still sits with his back to the wall in a pub so he can see what is in front of him.

Describing the aftermath of the attack, Chris said: ‘I was woken up by my wife Lynsey and she told me I had a massive brain injury and what happened.

‘They’d operated fast and drilled my skull to release the pressure. I just broke down in tears. I thought my life was done. I had an hour to live basically before they operated.’

He remained in the critical care ward for three days, but stopped eating and lost a stone and a half in the weeks following.

Gerrard, of Spruce Tree Grove, Gurnos, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault by beating.

As well the previous conviction for manslaughter after killing Robert Hurdley in Rotherham in 2012, for which he was sentenced to six years imprisonment, the court heard he also has convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray, common assault, wounding, and a domestic assault on his ex-partner during which he knocked her unconscious and left her with permanent facial scarring.

Recorder David Elias KC told Gerrard during sentencing: ‘But for the quick thinking of those at the scene and the treatment subsequently received he may well have lost his life. You have a background in boxing.

‘Because of your training your fist or fists is the equivalent of a weapon. You know that from your previous convictions and we know that from the CCTV.’

Gerrard was sentenced to four years imprisonment with an extended one year on licence and was made subject to a restraining order indefinitely.

But the damage to Chris is irreversible. He said: ‘My memory is terrible. My wife will ask me to do something and the next minute it’s gone. I could jump in a car and know where I’m going and the next thing I’m blank.

‘I don’t sleep much at all – I get flashbacks. It’s the PTSD from it. My sleeping is terrible – I don’t sleep very much at all. I was moody, angry. A lot of it I think was due to how long the court case dragged on for.

‘And throughout that time he [Gerrard] was only two minutes down the road on tag. I did actually see him twice. When something like this happens to you you do become very wary. I’m wary of what’s behind me all the time. I know it sounds silly but if I go to the pub I’ll sit with my back to the wall now so I know everything is in front of me.’

Chris is now back at work, running his own roofing business and working six days a week. He said he wants to share his story to show what can happen from one punch.

He added: ‘I just about survived it but many others don’t.

‘During the case I met the family of the man Gerrard killed with a punch. He was a man with a family, with children, with his whole life ahead of him.

‘I do feel lucky to have survived and as though I need to speak openly about it to stop men in particular throwing punches. It’s so easy to throw a punch and you can ruin so many lives.’

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