was taken to hospital in an emergency following the incident in Purton in Wiltshire on Thursday (July 23)<\/a>, where he endured a five-hour surgical procedure during which medics removed part of his skull.<\/p>\nJames Denys, 36, has been charged with grievous bodily harm following what Wiltshire Police characterised as a “serious assault”.<\/p>\n
In a message to Facebook on Saturday morning, Jamie’s family shared what they titled their family statement, describing what Jamie and his loved ones had been through since Thursday, and thanking those who have helped.<\/p>\n
The family described Jamie as “one of the kindest, most gentle souls you could ever meet” and said he started his day as normal, never imagining “that within hours he would be fighting for his life”.<\/p>\n
They said: “Today Jamie remains critically ill. His injuries are not only life changing, they are still life threatening. Every hour is a battle and our family continues to live with the uncertainty, fear and heartbreak that no family should ever have to endure.<\/p>\n
‘The heart of our family’<\/p>\n
“Jamie is the heart of our family and the life and soul of every room he walks into. He is the one who makes people laugh, lifts others up and would do anything for anyone. His kindness, loyalty and love for those around him are what define him, not the horrific events that have brought us to this moment.<\/p>\n
“Nothing can prepare you for standing beside someone you love, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Our lives have been turned upside down in an instant. The physical injuries Jamie has suffered will stay with him forever but the emotional scars carried by everyone who loves him will last a lifetime too.<\/p>\n
“As a family we are devastated but we are also determined. We will be there for Jamie through every operation, every setback, every small victory and every step of the long road ahead.”<\/p>\n
They added: “He is surrounded by love, and while he continues to fight for his life, we will continue to fight alongside him.”<\/p>\n
Jamie’s family went on to express their ‘deepest gratitude to every single person who came to his aid on what they have described as a ‘horrific morning’.<\/p>\n
“Before the emergency services had even arrived, the site agent and the workmen on scene acted without hesitation,” Jamie’s family went on to say.<\/p>\n
“In the face of an unimaginable situation, your courage, quick thinking and determination to help Jamie gave him the best possible chance. We truly believe that your actions saved his life and our family will never be able to thank you enough.<\/p>\n
“We also want to thank every emergency service worker who responded that morning. From the first responders to the police officers, paramedics, and everyone involved – your professionalism, compassion and commitment in the most challenging of circumstances will never be forgotten.<\/p>\n
‘Thank you’<\/p>\n
“A special thank you must go to the incredible team from Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance The level of care, expertise and dedication you showed Jamie at the scene was nothing short of extraordinary. We firmly believe that without every single person who fought so hard for him that day from those who were first by his side, to the emergency services and air ambulance crew Jamie would not be here today continuing his fight.<\/p>\n
“From the bottom of our hearts thank you. You gave our Jamie a chance when everything was against him and for that our family will be forever grateful.”<\/p>\n
Jamie’s family went on to thank ‘the incredible trauma team, neurosurgeons and staff at Southmead Hospital’ where Jamie is currently being treated.<\/p>\n
“There are truly no words big enough to thank you for what you are doing for Jay,” they said. “Watching you look after him with such profound skill, gentleness, and tireless dedication has been our only comfort during the most terrifying days of our lives.<\/p>\n
“You aren’t just doing a job you are fighting alongside Jamie every second, treating him with the absolute utmost care after everything he has been through. Please know that we see everything you do and we appreciate you more than anything in this world. You have given us hope when we needed it most and we will never forget the extraordinary care you are giving our boy.”<\/p>\n
Finally, Jamie’s family have now asked for privacy during such a difficult time. They added: “Our focus right now is and always will be Jamie and supporting him as he continues to fight for his life.<\/p>\n
‘The fight of his life’<\/p>\n
“We also ask people not to speculate or spread rumours about what has happened. We understand that people have questions, but speculation can cause further distress to our family and may impact an active police investigation.<\/p>\n
“Please allow the police to carry out their investigation thoroughly and fairly. We have every confidence that they will establish the full facts and we ask that everyone gives them the time and space to do their job.<\/p>\n
“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming love, prayers and support Jamie has received. Every message, every kind word and every person keeping him in their thoughts means more to us than we could ever put into words. Right now we simply ask for your continued prayers, your patience, and your respect as we stand beside Jamie through the fight of his life.”<\/p>\n
Officers initially commenced an attempted murder inquiry before charging Denys, of Ravensdale, East Wichel, with grievous bodily harm. He attended Swindon Magistrates’ Court and was held in custody.<\/p>\n
A second individual, aged 36, who was detained on suspicion of aiding an offender, has subsequently been released under bail conditions while investigations proceed.<\/p>\n
Detective Chief Inspector Deb Hatch characterised the assault as a “serious incident” and confirmed her sympathies lie with Mr Chappell’s family and friends.<\/p>\n
Detectives are continuing to urge witnesses or anybody possessing relevant details to step forward.<\/p>\n
Those able to assist are encouraged to reach Wiltshire Police on 101, referencing the pertinent incident, or alternatively contact Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"“Our family continues to live with the uncertainty, fear and heartbreak that no family should ever have to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":90914,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[393,13247,5,6],"class_list":["post-90913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uk","tag-facebook","tag-southmead","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116989589125704133","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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