Family statement after men sentenced for attack on NHS worker

Wednesday 22nd July 2020 changed our lives, and that of our family forever.

My son Katungua was just walking home after finishing work at Southmead hospital, listening to his music, as he always did.

The next moment, a car deliberately veered to towards him, attacking him as a weapon, leaving him no time to react, leaving him seriously injured both physically and mentally.

My son has endured a long path on his recovery.

While on this path we lost Katungua’s step-father. Eddie Briggs was my partner, and he never stopped campaigning for justice for Katungua, he would have been so proud to see this day! I have no doubt his death was brought on by the stress and pressures following the attack on our son.

As a mother, who should always seek to protect and look after her children, I felt so helpless.

I am so proud how my son has dealt with the unknown and rebuilt himself to the man that he is now.

We are very mindful that this cowardly attack, during which the worst racist abuse was shouted at Katungua, has impacted on all of us – family, friends, community, city, nation and beyond.

It has been a long journey and our family would like to thank everyone who came to Katungua’s aid.

From the moment his broken body was helped off the wall by a lovely lady, whose love for a fellow human being, and need to help, was stronger than the horror she encountered.

That chain of love grows stronger by the second.

The ambulance crews, the NHS staff, the plastic surgeons and their colleagues who had finished their shift yet returned to repair Katungua’s smashed face.

The witnesses who came forward, the police making enquires and sifting through blood-soaked debris for evidence.

The journalists who tell his story with care empathy and compassion.

The city’s leaders, including ex-mayor Marvin Rees who expressed their outrage and solidarity.

The strangers on social media that expressed their concern.

Our family has been through a lot, but justice has been served with the guilty verdicts against those responsible.

I would like to thank the following:

• The jury who deliberated over so much evidence to return their verdict(s)
• The Crown Prosecution Service and our barristers at court
• The police investigation team led by Detective Superintendent Mike Buck, Detective Sergeant Toby Hayes and Detective Sergeant Paul Melton, and everybody involved with special mention to Analyst Jo Hill.
• The members of the public, and emergency services who cared for my son when he was injured after the attack.
• There are too many people to mention, who have offered and provided support to our family over the last four years. But I will mention Alex Raikes and Nainesh Pandit from the charity SARI and our Family Liaison Officer Detective Constable Rob Dolan, who continue to support our family.
• Our NHS colleagues continue to support us.
• Finally, the media who have supported us throughout this ordeal. We thank you and ask that at this time and moving forward you respect our privacy, allowing our family time to move on with our lives.

Lastly, we love our lives, we love each other and we love living in Bristol. We love Bristol’s diversity, its art, its music, its sense of humour and decency, and its people.

And we will continue to enjoy our lives in Bristol.

We feel nothing but pity for the hate filled inadequate people that carried out this cowardly attack, for they and those like them have nothing to offer but hate.

We will bounce back!

Thank you.

Hivaka