'Gentle giant' Ryan still in critical condition (From The Argus)

'Gentle giant' Ryan still in critical condition

2:20pm Monday 31st December 2012 in News By Anna Roberts, Crime reporter

The father of a 21-year-old fighting for his life after a suspected street attack has described his son as a “gentle giant”. 

Ryan Geall is critically ill after he was allegedly attacked outside the Lola Lo nightclub in East Street, Brighton, early on Friday morning.

He was enjoying a night out with friends when he was injured, possibly during a 30-strong disturbance in the busy street at 4am.

A New Year’s Eve party which was due to be held in Lancing has been cancelled because he is so ill.

Yesterday, his father Andy, a plumber, said: “He is a gentle giant who does not fight. “He had six hours of surgery and it [the situation] is more positive than it was.

“It was very, very serious and very uncertain.”

He said he believed that his son, who works in Worthing, was saved thanks to the quick response of paramedics. 

He added: “They arrived very quickly.

“If they had not arrived so quickly then we could be looking at a murder charge.”

Mr Geall remains in Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath.

Barry Leigh, chairman of Lancing Football Club which Mr Geall played for as a boy, said everyone was worried about the 21-year-old.

He confirmed the club had chosen to cancel its big New Year’s Eve party following the events.

He said: “Everyone is thinking of Ryan. “It’s so worrying. You hear about this thing all the time now.

“I’m 70 years old and in my day this would not have happened.

“I really feel for the family.

“We cancelled the party because people would not want to drink and to celebrate while Ryan was so ill.

There are a lot of people very worried about him.”

Nathan Mhuto, 23, of Outram Road, Bognor, has been charged with grievous bodily harm and remanded in custody to appear before Brighton magistrates today.