Singer's face left paralysed in random attack by teenager

A SINGER today spoke of the "horrific" unprovoked attack which paralysed part of his face and left him with two metal plates in his chin.

Blain Murphy, 23, from Portobello, has endured a "hellish" recovery after stranger Liam Griffiths, 19, attacked him and broke his jaw on North Bridge while he innocently chatted to a girl on a night out.

Griffiths, who was on bail at the time of the unprovoked attack on 4 July last year, was yesterday jailed for nine months and branded "disgraceful" by a sheriff at the city's Sheriff Court.

Mr Murphy, who studies events and management at Queen Margaret University, is still suffering from the attack. He said his jaw is still partially unaligned, meaning he has trouble sleeping and often wakes himself during the night grinding his teeth. The lower left side of his mouth is paralysed.

He said: "I'm still in disbelief about what happened. I was just chatting to a girl – who this guy didn't know – after a brilliant night out with a friend, and before I knew it I was spitting blood. I blinked and then I was on the ground.

"I was so shocked that I didn't realise what happened until police stopped me as I was walking home and asked me if I'd been assaulted. I didn't even know at first that my jaw had been broken. When I got home I saw that he had punched my face to one side. It was horrific."

The attack meant Mr Murphy had to visit the ERI, which was followed by a day of painful plastic surgery in Livingston.

The operation, which led to two metal plates being inserted into his chin, and bolts and elastic bands being added to his face for support, meant the student could not speak for four weeks.

Subsequently he could no longer work as a bar attendant or charity collector. He said: "It was hellish. I have always been chatty and outgoing, but all I could do for the first two weeks was drink one fruit smoothie a day, so I lost a stone in weight. I felt useless, and it still hurts to eat.

"The nine-month sentence is too short. I found out he had pleaded guilty a month ago, and it meant I didn't have to go to court, but in a way I wanted to have my say. I wanted to highlight what he has done to me.

"The sentence should have been harsher, especially as he broke previous bail conditions."

In court yesterday Sheriff Michael O'Grady QC blasted Griffiths, of Christian Grove, Edinburgh, who had admitted punching Mr Murphy to the head, causing him to fall to the ground to his severe injury.

He said: "This was a completely unprovoked drunken attack on a total stranger. It was disgraceful and sadly typical of the cases we are seeing in the courts of violent, drunken young men inflicting terrible injuries on total strangers."

Defence agent Kenneth McFarlane said Griffiths had spent seven days in custody after his appearance in court last year before being released on bail. He said: "He says that short period in custody was a wake-up call about his conduct and his family say there has been a change in his attitude."

Despite his ordeal, Mr Murphy, who sings in his band, Keepsake, said he was running for student union president this year.

But he added: "I still glance over my shoulder. Although I feel more at ease I can't ignore the fact my teeth will never feel the same again. I can't even feel the right side of my mouth. I'll be physically affected forever."