On April 1, 2013, at around 4:40am, Sam Rees was assaulted in Wood Street, Old Town.
Sam, who was aged 27 at the time, sustained a significant head injury during the attack.
As previously reported by the Adver, Sam was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he underwent brain surgery and remained in a critical condition.
His family maintained a bedside vigil and Sam was later transferred to Great Western Hospital.
He was discovered by staff at The Kings Hotel, which had closed several hours before the attack.
The venue’s resident DJ, Tony McClusky, works as a nurse at GWH and he was able to administer first aid until an ambulance arrived.
Wood Street remained closed for most of the following day as forensic officers searched for evidence.
The father-of-one lost his independent mobility and required full time care.
He was unable to identify where he was and Sam was unable to feed himself, and he became underweight and at risk of being malnourished.
Abuzer Erdem, 40, of Ferndale Road, Swindon, was later jailed for 12 months for inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Speaking after the case, Sam’s mother, Jo Hampson, said: “There are no winners here. There are two families here that have lost a son. I want to move on now and just do everything we can for Sam for his future.
“Sam has got lovely friends and we are really grateful for all the support his friends have shown. The future is going to be very difficult for Sam.”
In December 2023, 10 years after the incident, Sam sadly passed away.
Wiltshire Police has reopened the investigation into Sam’s attack following his death and the force has confirmed they have charged Erdem with manslaughter.
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He has been released on conditional bail and is due to appear at Swindon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, May 26.
Det Con Jemma Humphreys, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, has been conducting the investigation into manslaughter.
“This is a tragic case of a young man who suffered significant injuries following an assault in Swindon and tragically died 10 years later,” she said.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to remind the public of the dangers of night-time economy fuelled violence. Please consider the consequences of your actions, and always stop, think and walk away.”
