By BRIDGET COOK
NOBLE Park resident Ben Thompson understands better than anyone how one punch can change someone’s life.
One punch left him fighting for his life with a rare chance of survival at 22 years old.
One punch left him wheelchair bound with limited movement and limited ability to talk seven years on from the fateful night.
One punch has caused a ripple effect to his family and friends who have been on an emotional rollercoaster with him ever since.
And one punch has left Ben and his loved ones continuing to shake their heads that the message of the dangers of coward’s punches doesn’t seem to be getting through, despite so many tragedies.
The topic of the consequences of king-hit attacks and the need for tougher penalties for those involved has been rife over in the past months following a number of deaths of young men across the country.
Last month, the State Government revealed that one punch killers would spend at least 10 years in jail under tough new laws.
In August a 15-year-old boy named Jaiden was left in an induced coma following an alleged coward’s punch while he was walking away from the drama at an underage party in Bayswater.
Ben, 29, said he was happy to share his story of how a single punch changed his life to try and encourage men to think before they act.
Ben was punched outside his Cranbourne home on 27 June 2007, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the concrete.
His attacker was later convicted and jailed.
Ben was rushed to The Alfred hospital where he underwent urgent brain surgery, with doctors giving him a slim chance of survival, and that’s where he stayed in a coma for the next six months.
However, Ben did survive, which was the first miracle of many others that followed, including starting to speak again three years ago.
While Ben had to live in a nursing home for many years due to the lack of care facilities for younger people, he now lives in his own flat at Yooralla House with people similar in age. Speaking on behalf of Ben’s family, his cousin Rebekah Booth said it was frustrating to continue to hear stories of coward’s punches in the media and urged people to learn from Ben’s story.
“It really destroyed his life and ours in many ways,” she said.
“Ben’s mum Robyn passed away last year and without a doubt there was a connection between her death and the stress of what Ben’s been through.
“There’s no quality of life for Ben.
“We are lucky, in a sense, that we’ve still got Ben, unlike some families who lose their loved ones, but I urge people to see what can happen before they throw a punch.
“If people could see the effects of how a punch left Ben’s life, then maybe it will stop even one person from doing the same.
“A hand is a powerful weapon, you don’t have to have a weapon to do serious damage.”
Ben had a similar message, particularly to young men.
“This has changed my life,” he said.
“Think before you hit someone.
“The consequences could be terrible. Doesn’t just affect us, it affects lots of people.”
Ben and Ms Booth both agreed that there needed to be tougher one-punch laws.
“People don’t seem to be learning from these cases – it just keeps happening,” Ms Booth said.
“If tougher penalties mean it won’t happen to someone else, then that’s a good thing.
“But for us, our focus is on Ben – not the person who did this – and it’s positive that he just keeps making gains.”
