County Durham mum launches fresh calls for tougher sentences for one-punch attacks
They are campaigning to raise awareness of the devastating impact a single punch can cause
There are fresh calls from a County Durham mum who says we must have stronger sentences for single punch assaults.
Maxine Thompson-Curl tells us her teenage son Kristian was left with a catastrophic brain injury in September 2010, after a one-punch assault on a night out in Consett.
He died 10-months later aged 19.
Since then she has been campaigning so that no other family goes through the same heartache.
Maxine, founder of One Punch UK, said: "He went to a local nightclub in Consett. He went to the toilet and a 24-year-old male wanted a cigarette off him but he didn't smoke.
"So, the individual just thought that he could punch him. That's exactly what he did and he hit the floor.
"My life has just completely changed from the moment it happened, never believing we would lose Kristian to that one punch.
"The lad who did it was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He'd been out on the drink all day and he told the judge that he had a bad week at work. He gave him two and half years of which he served nine months.
"We're looking to raise the sentencing levels, so the minimum sentence would be 10-years for a one punch assault and 15-years if you kill them.
"There is no deterrent, so the deterrent is, let's get them sentencing levels up.
"One punch is either down to self-defence, or they didn't mean it to happen, or they'll say they weren't there.
"It needs to be brought to the limelight, and it needs to be stopped."
She continues to say: "Children need to be educated; young adults need to be educated.
"Also, the other side of this coin is alcohol because most of these nighttime assaults happen in the nighttime economy.
"It's about knowing your limitations when you're out there under the influence of alcohol and drugs."