GARY Hayward has given his first interview since being beaten unconscious in a vicious gang attack in October 2011. He tells chief reporter Gareth Davies he is determined to make a full recovery but still has no memory of events before that night....
TWO years ago Gary Hayward was clinging to life, unable to respond to his family's pleas for him to wake up.
Now the father of three is laughing and joking and has amazed them with his progress.
"I'm getting stronger every day and I'm going to make a full recovery," he said.
"I'm going to destroy every obstacle in my way."
Gary, 31, was beaten with metal poles and pieces of wood while protecting his father John from a gang of around 30 teenagers in Central Parade, New Addington, on October 2, 2011.
As well as being in an unresponsive state for 18 months, the brutal attack – for which no one has been caught – left Gary blind in one eye, with next to no sight in the other.
He was unable to walk or move the right side of his body and suffered severe memory loss.
This week he was able to shake hands with the reporter who visited him and his mum, Wendie Hayward, at a specialist rehabilitation centre in Kent.
The improvement from a little over six months ago, when he said his first words since that night, is stunning.
It is matched only by how remarkably positive he is about the ordeal he has been through.
Asked about his eyesight, Gary said: "I can see colours and figures, but I can't make out faces or anything like that. It doesn't worry me though. I've been told that I will see eventually."
As well as being able to have a conversation, it is clear his personality, especially his sense of humour, has returned.
Throughout the interview he joked with his mother as she nagged him about being impatient, demanding extra physiotherapy sessions or being rude to the nurses.
It's the sort of thing most mums and sons take for granted, but for Wendie, who has visited Gary every day since the attack, they are precious moments she feared they might not have again.
"What do you think of the food here Gary?" she asked.
"It's horrible," he replied, laughing.
"He tells them that too," said Wendie.
"He was always this blunt. We're seeing a lot of the old Gary now. He's very comical. His wit is coming back. He's getting his one-liners in."
His love of music has also returned. When we arrived, Gary was listening to music on the CD/DVD player he got for Christmas.
When asked who the singer was, Gary replied: "Phil Collins. I also like Pink Floyd, Queen, AC-DC, loads of stuff.
"I've got five CDs, and they're all what I like. I've listened to them over and over again, but that's alright."
"He knew all the words when he first started listening," added Wendie.
"I think [his interest in music] was the first thing he responded to. We constantly played music while he was in a coma."
Gary, surprised, said: "Did you? Bloody hell!"
As well as his favourite bands, Gary is able to recall his children and the rest of his close family, along with small details such as the number of his house and the street where he lived in New Addington.
What he cannot remember yet is his life before that night – his childhood, growing up, the birth of his children – or the attack itself.
"I got beaten up by 30 people," he said. "I can't remember any names yet."
Wendie said: "We won't tell him too many details because we want him to remember on his own.
"He doesn't remember the attack and, in some ways, I don't want him to. Who would want to remember being hit with hammers and poles?"
"He doesn't remember being asleep either, so all those hours I spent here were a waste of time," she laughed.
Walking continues to be a major obstacle but, with the help of regular physiotherapy sessions, he has made progress and is almost able to support his own weight without help.
So keen is he to get back on his feet, he has demanded extra sessions.
He is making huge strides since last June, when he said "hello" to his sister Zowey over the phone, his first words since the attack.
Last month the Advertiser revealed that Gary was well enough to spend time at his mum's house over the festive period.
This week he described spending Christmas with his family as "pukka".
Wendie has moved to Kent to be closer to her son.
The plan now is for him to leave rehab within the next few months.
In the long term he wants to return to New Addington and live with his children in a place of his own.
"I would definitely want to go back," he said. "It's the only place I know."
Asked whether he realised that he was thought of as a hero by his family for protecting his dad, he said: "I wouldn't say that."
"We think you're a hero," said Wendie, before giving him a big hug. Mother's torment
WENDIE Hayward has described how close she came to losing her son.
"He died in the ambulance on the way to hospital but they brought him back to life," she said.
"Did I? Me?" asked Gary. "Bloody Nora!"
Wendie said: "When we got to the hospital the surgeon came out to us and said we needed to decide whether or not to operate.
"If we didn't he would die, but if they did the chances are he would be brain damaged.
"He said we should do what Gary would want us to do and to think of him, and whether he would be happy being paralysed.
"I know he wouldn't have wanted to be like that, but I still said yes to the operation.
"I was selfish that night because I wanted him to live.
"It was lucky I did, because he would have been gone. He's proof there's always a chance."
Gary said: "I think that's marvellous." Investigation met wall of silence
GARY was beaten with pieces of wood and metal poles after confronting youths who had been harassing his father in Central Parade in New Addington.
Four people have been arrested but no one has been charged with the attack.
Police believe they know who was responsible but despite numerous appeals by his family, a £20,000 reward and a feature on BBC's Crimewatch, aired in April last year, no witnesses have agreed to give evidence in court.
In August, Borough Commander David Musker revealed the investigation has been shelved because there were "no further viable leads."
"The fundamental issue has always been identifying a witness or witnesses present at the scene that would be willing to provide a statement and identify the persons involved," he said.
