THE MOTHER of an assault victim in Alton has expressed her thanks to the community, following a series of donations which enabled her to fly over from Australia.

Erika Perry, mother of Jake Perry, created a GoFundMe page after her son was the victim of an attack on Alton High Street on July 26.

She needed to raise $14,000 Australian dollars to fund her flight to the UK, which also had to be agreed by the Australian Consulate because of Covid-19 restrictions.

In a statement addressed to the community, via the Herald, Erika said: “I want to thank everyone who has supported my son Jake, my family and myself over the last couple of weeks.

“Jake still remains in a critical condition in ICU – he had shown some positive signs which is what I hold on to – however he has now been put back onto life support, in an induced coma.

“Any step forward is a major achievement for Jake and I am proud of him for the strength he has and believe he will keep fighting.

“Myself and all his family and friends miss him dearly and want him back with us but his daughter misses him immensely and can’t understand why daddy is still sleeping. Our lives have been ripped apart overnight in more ways than one.

“Not only has Jake’s life been changed forever but this has had a ripple effect that will change a lot of lives forever.

“Obviously I need to be in the UK so I can be by Jake’s side so my life has been turned upside down but Jake’s younger brother has also had his life turned upside down with his mother being on the other side of the world.

“I still cannot comprehend what has happened and I refuse to believe that I will lose my son. I could not have done this without the love, support and generosity from family and friends as well as the general public who have helped during this difficult time.

“If anyone did see anything or does have any information that may be relevant to that night, please contact the police.

“Once again from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you all so much for the support you have all given. I pray and stay strong with the hope that Jake will be back with us and his daughter can tell him how much she loves him.”

Erika’s GoFundMe page has now raised more than $22,000 AUD – any further funds donated on the site will go towards Jake’s recovery. To donate, visit https://gf.me/u/yjrn9r

Three men were arrested in connection with the assault, and released under investigation.