Wife of Worthing dad 'left with nothing' since vicious attack

Alan Willson had catastrophic brain injuries after being punched and battered with a log by the teenagers in Longcroft Park in Worthing on Easter Sunday last year.

The father, who had stepped in to defend a boy being bullied in a row over a frisbee, is still unable to talk or write more than a year later.

His wife Annie said that she has been forced to sell possessions to raise funds to cover the cost of Alan’s treatment.

Alan Willson in recent months

She said: “We don’t have an income and we have been waiting a year for the criminal injuries [compensation] to come through.

“My Universal Credit will be stopped. I have sold every single piece of jewellery I have. I’m just short of selling a kidney. I have nothing.

“This is the other people don’t understand about this - because of what they’ve done, I have nothing. I didn’t even know these people.”

Annie also said that life has been incredibly difficult coping with the extent of Alan’s injuries.

She said: “I haven’t really spoken to my husband for over a year. I miss it - I miss it a lot.

“Life on a daily basis is very difficult for him. He knows what he wants to say, but he just can’t say it. When he’s in pain, we don’t know he’s in pain.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve got to crack on with life to support Alan and keep his spirits up.”

Archie and George Tilley and Harry Furlong were jailed for the vicious attack

Brothers George and Archie Tilley, who were aged just 13 and 14 at the time of the attack, were sentenced to 12 years in jail for GBH with intent, while 18-year-old accomplice Harry Furlong was sent to prison for 20 months for GBH without intent.

Furlong could be released later this month on licence, which has left Annie losing faith in the justice system.

She said: “Is that what my husband’s previous life is worth? It is awful. We were not happy with 20 months in the first place.”