THE MUM of assault victim Jake Perry has paid tribute to the “very caring” Alton community after her son was cleared to fly home to Australia.

Mr Perry, an Australian national, was left fighting for his life after he was assaulted close to the Vodafone store in Alton High Street just after midnight on July 26, 2020.

His mum Erika immediately flew to the UK to be at his bedside, and has now been here for eight months supporting her son’s rehabilitation.

However, sharing an update on her son’s recovery, she revealed plans to return home to Australia with her son as she can no longer afford to stay here.

This has been an especially tough decision, she says, as it means Jake will be leaving his young daughter in the UK.

She described the decision return to Australia as “heart wrenching”, but said “ultimately Jake’s rehabilitation is most important both physically and mentally and needs to be thought of long term”.

But she added Jake’s doctors agree her son would have “the best chance of rehabilitation back home in Australia”.

Erika said: “Jake is improving all the time.

“Unfortunately the hard work he has to put in will not just be short term, days, weeks or even months.

“It is going to be for years if not the rest of his life.

“To put it in some sort of perspective, Jake has had 24 years to learn everything he knows, but last July the slate was wiped clean and he has had to start again.

“It has now been more than eight months since everyone involved in his life had their lives turned upside down and put on hold to support Jake and his recovery.

“Reality is that the life that many of us are living at the moment cannot be sustained emotionally or financially the way it is any more.

“Jake’s younger brother, at 12 years of age, has now been without his mother for eight months.

“I can’t sustain the living costs for all three of us any more under the current circumstances, especially with the upcoming costs for Jake now he is out of rehab.”

Erika has thanked “everyone in Alton for their support for Jake,” adding that Alton “has shown me it is a very caring community and people do care.”

Criminal proceedings are progressing against those involved in the assault.

Jack Michael Dean, 20, of Russett Road in Alton, has already been convicted after pleading guilty to assault by beating.

And Tyler David Gard, of Winstreet Close in Alton, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm and has pleaded guilty. He awaits sentencing.