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Surgeons rebuild brothers' faces after gang hammer attack
Sophie Goodchild, Health and Social Affairs Correspondent29.01.10
Surgeons at a pioneering facial reconstruction clinic rebuilt the faces of two brothers after they were battered by a gang of 30 hammer-wielding thugs.
David Barry, 41, and Thomas Barry, 45, were set upon as they rushed to the aid of Thomas's son Christopher, 18, and his 16-year-old girlfriend after they were attacked outside a pub in Bethnal Green on New Year's Eve.
They were both bludgeoned unconscious and have needed expert surgery to put their torn-apart faces back together.
David was so horribly injured that half of his face was caved in after he suffered a broken cheekbone, jaw shattered in six places, broken palate and fractured teeth. His brother's eyesocket caved in after he was hit.
A team of doctors at the maxillofacial surgical unit at the Royal London Hospital — led by consultant Simon Holmes — carried out a four-and-a-half hour operation on David to rebuild the right side of his face.
They fixed titanium plates to his bone with 22 screws. Now three weeks later he has been left with minimal scarring after the surgeons operated inside the mouth, along the hairline and into the eye.
David, of Ilford, said: “The roof of my mouth was split in half so the right side of my face had dropped and my eyes weren't level.
Half of my teeth were in the normal place and the other half were about an inch lower.” He added: “They [surgeons] went in through the inside of my mouth and popped my eye out of its socket so they could fit the plates in my cheek.”
However, David, a communications engineer, said the trauma of the attack will last for life and is worried about the extent of damage to his hand-eye co-ordination.
“I've got no feeling in the right side of my face,” he said. “The nerves were so badly damaged that I'm never going to get it back and I'll have to live with it for ever.”
Thomas, 45, a French polisher who lives in Bow, with his wife Bridget and son Christopher, was smashed in the face and three times over the head with a hammer.
He also had surgery overseen by Mr Holmes at the Royal London for a shattered eye socket.
Thomas said: “They made an incision in my hairline and basically tyre-levered my eye socket back out.”
Mr Holmes, 45, paid tribute to the bravery of the brothers, both during the attack and throughout their treatment. He said: “I don't think I could have been so brave.”
Police investigating the attack on the brothers have arrested three youths. They have been released on police bail and no charges have been brought.
Reader views (7)
makes me very glad that stun guns and tazers are legal where I live. The is comparatively little social violence here. These poor chaps have beeen bashed to bits, there will be 50k inquiry. One or more cretins will be given an asbo or a yoof order. Justice as usual in the uk will not be done seeing as it is pay as you go. Lessons will be learned blah di blah di blah.....
- Rod Mackintosh, berlin germany, 01/02/2010 08:59
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I would like to say a BIG thank you for all your lovely comments about my dad and uncle, they are on the road to recovery and are doing pretty well, the biggest shame of all of this is that my dad can't feel mine or my younger siblings kisses any more on that side of his face and my brother is still weary of coming close to him sometimes, I would like to show my appreciation to the surgeon Mr Holmes and thank him BIG time for looking after my family.
- Lauren Barry (David'S Daughter), London, 31/01/2010 16:58
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Er CCTV Cameras??..solve crimes??....so where are the images????..dont tell me they wernt working AGAIN ??
- Clif, London, 29/01/2010 18:11
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"They have been released on police bail and no charges have been brought."
The Justice system fails at the first hurdle.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 29/01/2010 15:15
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That they are alive and their physical injuries have been dealt with so well is a testament to the skilled medical staff.
They are brave brothers and should have that bravery rewarded by seeing the rabid animals that did this locked up as we can't put down 'humans'.
- S-M Hearmon, London, UK, 29/01/2010 14:53
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How utterly, utterly extraordinary: although these brave guys will always suffer the consequences of such a terrible attack, the remarkable efforts of modern surgeons to put things back must have transformed their lives. I firmly believe what comes around goes around.
- Roz, France, 29/01/2010 14:10
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Sounds like something out of a horror film, poor lads.
Don't hold your breath for any results justice wise though.
- P Staker, London, 29/01/2010 11:12
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