Man told he's 'lucky to be alive' after violent baseball bat attack

A man who was left with life-changing injuries after being beaten with a baseball bat has spoken of the mental and physical impact of the attack.

26-year-old Adam Harcombe had to learn how to walk after once being able to walk 10 miles, but is now unable to walk 10 steps.

A court heard how the electrician had been at a nightclub in Porth in September 2020 before walking a friend home in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Harcombe was walking along Pontypridd Road when he was struck on the hand by a car being driven by one of his attackers.

The two men - Callum Meirion Thomas and Nathan Emery - then circled around a one-way system on High Street before stopping and initiating the attack.

Thomas struck Mr Harcombe repeatedly with a baseball bat, which he had kept in the boot of his car. The pair fled from the scene and were both arrested shortly after.

In a statement, Mr Harcombe said it was difficult to put into words how the attack has affected him: "No words will ever be strong enough.

"I can't understand why this has happened to me.

"This incident took all my confidence and independence away. I'm rebuilding every inch of my life from scratch."

The police and ambulance service arrived at the scene and Mr Harcombe was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

The attack caused him to develop a blood clot on the brain, and a bone had to be removed from the side of his head because due to swelling.

Mr Harcombe also lost vision in his left eye, and was in the hospital for 16 weeks.

He described how he has "no memory of anything" and is "filled with anger and anxiety".

"Being told I am lucky to be alive is a scary thing to be told," he said.

"I will never forget waking up from a coma and being told I couldn't walk. Being in hospital was extremely hard for me, I was always such an active person."It happened in the middle of a pandemic which made it worse. The last thing I expected going on a night out was that I would not see anyone I knew for three months.

"Throughout my recovery, I have been unable to go to the toilet or the shower which makes me feel weak and a failure, and I have had to learn to brush my own teeth."

He continued: "I'm just a 26-year-old, what did I do to deserve that?""Every day I still wake up and I wonder how much of a fight the day ahead is going to be. Will I ever have my old life back again?"Mr Harcombe, who has been left with a permanent scar, described how initially requiring a helmet outside because of how sensitive his head was made him "ashamed to go out in public."

He added: "I can't picture going out for a drink with the boys again if I see a group of boys I become weary instantly and I still struggle to meet new people and socialise.

"I have had ongoing issues with sleeping and I find I am waking up several times throughout the night with things playing on my mind."I am lucky I have got a supportive family and friends who have helped me massively. I am a survivor. These boys have not beaten me and I will not let them control my future. The fact that this court case is over has lifted a big weight off my shoulders."

At Merthyr Crown Court, the judge described it as a "merciless attack" and a case of "stupid bravado against a young man who could not have foreseen such violence."

Thomas was jailed for 13 years and Emery was jailed for three years.