A FATHER’S life was changed forever when he became the victim of a brutal one-punch street attack in which he received almost fatal injuries to his brain.

Witnesses to the incident described hearing a loud cracking sound as Risard Karmazin’s head collided with the tarmac on Queensbury Road, Burnley, after he was punched in the head by Aaron James Scott.

Mr Karmazin’s family feared he would die as a result of the incident, after doctors at the Royal Blackburn Hospital said the prospect of a recovery was not good.

However the victim did recover albeit it with life-changing injuries that have left him incapable of completing even the most ‘basic of tasks’.

Prosecuting, Karen Brooks said the attack happened in December 2019 when Scott pursued Mr Karmazin for an unpaid debt.

She said: “Witnesses in the street describe hearing the defendant shout, ‘you owe me £200’.

“However there was clearly some dispute about this debt. CCTV footage clearly shows the victim walking backwards and then the defendant taking a hold of the victim and punching him with his right hand as the victim tried to walk away.

“The punch caused the victim to ball back onto the floor and the witness heard his head crack.

“The defendant then walked away with another man who was present and the men told the witnesses to keep their mouths shut.”

Scott and the second man then got in a taxi, leaving Mr Karmazin bleeding in the middle of the road.

He was rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where he was found to be suffering with brain injuries so traumatic it was believed he may die.

His injuries, including a fractured eye socket and bleeds and bruising to the brain, have left him with hearing loss, significant cognitive impairment, memory loss and reduced spatial awareness.

Defending, Ayaz Khazi said Scott was genuinely remorseful for his actions.

He said: “It is of no great fortune of the defendant that he is not facing a homicide charge because often a single blow of such a nature results in a fatality and the charge is one of manslaughter.

“However this was not a sustained or repeated assault and he has pleaded guilty to the charge."

Sentencing Scott to two years and three months in prison for one count of grievous bodily harm, Judge Phillip Parry said: “When his family learned of his injuries they all thought he was going to die. They uprooted themselves from Shropshire where they live and came to be by his side. Fortunately he didn’t die and you could have so easily been facing a charge of manslaughter.”