Battered pilot felt 'like a child' during recovery

A PILOT who was battered and left for dead while on a stag night has said he felt "like a child" as he recovered his health.

Edinburgh-born Stuart Martin, 30, was left in a coma after he was assaulted by three teenagers in New Zealand. He spent four weeks in hospital before returning to Scotland, where he was being cared for by his parents in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

He is now walking without a wheelchair following months of therapy after the attack in February 2009. He completed his first shift at work this week, although he cannot yet fly again.

Mr Martin said he was determined to recover after his friend Steve Martin asked him to be best man at his wedding last week.

He said: "It's kind of like being a child again – I'm learning to do things for the first time."

Two of his attackers, Joshua McConville and Hamish Bowman, both 17, have been jailed and a third teenager, Darrin Wright, faces trial after pleading guilty.