Battered by a thug, betrayed by justice: Yob left girl in
permanent agony but he avoids court
- Nikki Brewer was left having to use a wheelchair after being grabbed by the hair and punched
- She has been left with constant back pain and a degenerative disease that may have been brought on by trauma
- A 31-year-old man was arrested but released without charge after the CPS and police failed to agree on his case
By ANDREW LEVY and ARTHUR MARTIN
PUBLISHED: 14:55, 21 August 2012 | UPDATED: 00:48, 22 August 2012
Furious: Teenager Nikki Brewer (pictured) was left in a wheelchair after a brutal attack by a drunken thug
A woman left needing a wheelchair following a street attack will never see justice done after a mix-up by police and prosecutors allowed the man to avoid court.
Nikki Brewer, 21, was walking home with a friend after a night out when she was confronted by a drunken yob.
Footage caught on a CCTV camera showed him grabbing her hair and yanking her head back before delivering a powerful punch that sent her sprawling to the ground in Colchester.
Mrs Brewer now suffers permanent back pain and often needs a wheelchair to get around. Doctors have also diagnosed a degenerative disease affecting her nerves which was probably triggered by the injuries she sustained.
Police appealed for witnesses on BBC’s Crimewatch and a 31-year-old man was arrested in January this year for common assault.
But he has now been told he will not face prosecution as he was not brought before magistrates within a six-month time limit that applies to summary-only offences.
If he had been charged with a more serious offence, such as actual bodily harm, no time limit would have applied.
The exact reason for the delay was mired in confusion yesterday as Essex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service blamed each other for failing to take action.
The force said it was given advice by the CPS that Mrs Brewer’s injuries were not serious enough to warrant arresting the suspect for the more serious offence.
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‘Unprovoked’: The 21-year-old, left, was making her way home with a friend after a night out in Colchester, Essex, when the man, right, approached
Brutal: The attacker (circled red) and swings his fist at Nikki (circled blue) in the street
Dramatic footage: The charity worker, pictured prostrate after being hit, has also been diagnosed with a degenerative disease that affects her nerves, which doctors have said can be brought on by a trauma injury
‘No justice’: Ms Brewer suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the attack and has been left with constant back pain
It also claimed prosecutors had decided not to proceed with the case – but the CPS responded by saying it had never been handed a file of evidence.
‘This man is still out there and could do the same thing to someone else,’ said Mrs Brewer, an administrator for the Multiple Sclerosis Centre near her home. ‘It is so frustrating that he has been able to walk free.’
Mrs Brewer, who is married to therapy co-ordinator Lee, 22, was 18 when she was attacked on Colchester High Street in April 2009. The thug spat at her friend and when she remonstrated he grabbed hold of her.
Another man at the scene – wearing what looks like an orange bib – is believed to have been a friend of the attacker. He has never come forward.
Mrs Brewer suffered concussion and a black eye in the assault. But doctors later discovered a degenerative condition that may have been triggered by the incident.
This left her joints enlarged and pushing on her nerves, leaving her in agony.
As a result, she has to use a wheelchair to reduce the stress walking puts on her back.
Mrs Brewer also accused police of failing to act quickly enough because they appealed for witnesses on Crimewatch only in September 2010.
Essex Police said that the CPS had decided not to proceed with the case. A spokesman added: ‘The man arrested on suspicion of common assault has been released from bail by police.’
A police source later said the CPS had advised that the information available did not meet the ‘evidential requirement for an actual bodily harm case’ – meaning they had to proceed with a common assault case.
A CPS spokesman said: ‘A file in relation to this incident has never been submitted to us, so we were unable to make a decision or offer any formal charging advice in respect of this incident.’
VIDEO: Nikki is pulled back by the hair and punched by the drunken thug
So does the story end their or has she put a compliant in against no file this is one more bit of proof we are not safe unprotected by our or police or government rules. They are very much now gaining the upper hand daily and I do not see us winning this unless demo’s in the thousands which is not happening understanable because the police allow the abuse of the EDL and other groups that are sick of this 2
tier system and unjust system towards the none muslim of this country.