Seventeen years ago, Brian Hogan was a healthy and fit thirty-two-year-old man, living and working in England, building a career he loved. One evening, on a night out, he was the victim of an unprovoked punch that left him with catastrophic injuries and changed the course of his life forever.

This week, Brian shared his experience with members of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, which is examining the prevention of unprovoked, one punch assaults and the sentencing frameworks for such assaults. He was joined by his sister, Nevis Hogan, who spoke movingly about how this single, senseless act of violence devastated their family and continues to affect their lives today.

Brian spoke about the consequences of the single punch:

Nevis told committee members about the profound emotional toll the assault has had on their family:

“My brother deserved to live his life without this happening to him. Our parents deserved to enjoy their later years without this heartbreak, and our family deserved better than a lifetime of consequences caused by one unprovoked act of violence”, continued Nevis.

Both Brian and Nevis believe that penalties should better reflect the devastating and lifelong consequences of these assaults for victims and their families. Brian also supports “meaningful financial penalties imposed on offenders, with those payments going directly to victims and survivors.”

The Justice Committee’s examination of this issue follows the dedicated advocacy by the WalkAway/Siúil Leat campaign. Established by Sharon Lynn and Bryan Gallagher, whose brothers tragically lost their lives in separate one-punch assaults, the campaign has been instrumental in raising awareness of the devastating consequences of these attacks and the need for sentencing reform and greater support for victims and their families. Statements were also provided by experts in emergency medicine, criminology, and law.

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland has supported Brian on his rehabilitation journey following the assault. He lived in one of our assisted living homes in Clarecastle, where he began to rebuild his life and regain his independence. He now lives in his own home.