Attack shattered dreams of future

9:30am Thursday 28th August 2008

DANIEL O’Sullivan has both emotional and physical scars the glassing attack that left him blind in his right eye.

The 18-year-old says he now suffers fits of anger that make him ‘rage and shake’ even when it is about something as small as missing the bus.

He believes the injury has all-but ruined his chances of reaching his two life-goals including joining the army and pursuing a boxing career.

Daniel rues the Saturday night last November, when he went to Studio Nightclub, Old Town, with a group of friends.

On the Sunday morning he woke in Cheltenham Hospital and ‘had his eyeball sewn-up’ after it was severely gashed when he was glassed in the eye with a beer bottle.

He now dreams of the simplest of pleasures – such as sitting down and watching television for more than 30 minutes without his brain throbbing or his eye hurting.

“I had my boxing licence before this now that is all down the drain.

“I tried out for the army when I was 16 but my parents refused to sign the release form and promised at 18 they would, but because of this injury I can’t do that anymore – so much has been taken away because of this.”

Daniel’s confidence was left shattered by the vicious attack.

“My pride has been hurt a lot I am quite a proud person and was a very confident guy,” he said.

“But this has left me a shell of what I used to be, now I prefer to be in a group rather than on my own.

“If I am walking home alone in the dark and I see a group of boys in a car I often have to put my hood up and cross the street, whereas before I was a really confident about being alone and on my own.”

Daniel says since the attack he has been unable to find steady work and the jobs he does find he has trouble keeping due to difficulties with his disability.

He said: “I can’t watch television for very long without my eye throbbing and my brain throbbing, it is kind of like when you stretch out your arms and see stars – when it gets too much – I get this sensation.

“When I sit at the computer too long my head starts to pound, meaning I can never get an office job or be in that kind of environment.

“At the moment I am doing plumbing but even that is turning out to be tough I often run into things and bump my head because I just don’t see them.

Daniel believes his injuries could have been worse but says they have left him feeling like a victim.

He said: “I am in a permanent state of frustration, I get angry so easily.

“Stress makes my head hurt a lot, this court case has caused my head to throb a great deal – sometimes it goes away sometimes it doesn’t.”