Durham Mum Backs 'One Punch' Campaign
19 December 2014, 06:14 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
A Durham mum whose teenage son died following a drunken punch is backing a campaign by Durham Police aimed at stopping people being killed by a drink-fuelled punch.
49 year old Maxine Thompson has tirelessly fought for two years to bring further charges against her son’s attacker, who was handed a 28-month jail term after admitting causing grievous bodily harm.
Maxine’s son Kristian tragically died ten months after this incident.
And now the grieving mum is a step closer to overturning the inquest ruling - which said the assault didn’t cause his death - after the Attorney General granted Maxine permission to take her bid to the High Court.
PC Mick Urwin,
"Alcohol is not an excuse for violent behaviour – being drunk alters perception and attitude.
This can lead to someone using more force than they perceive necessary when in a fight and as a result one punch can be fatal.
The campaign is to help prevent two families from suffering loss – one the death of a family member, the other the loss of a family member who is on the receiving end of a prison sentence."
