Craig Lewis-Williams was left brain-damaged, unable to walk and swallow after being attacked while walking to his home in Wrexham, North Wales – he now requires constant care
A devoted father and husband had his life shattered in a single-punch assault that left him with brain damage. Craig Lewis-Williams, 50, from Llay, was attacked while walking home in November 2021.
The incident left him unable to walk, swallow and suffering memory difficulties. He subsequently suffered a stroke during treatment, causing paralysis down his left side. Mr Lewis-Williams is now tube-fed and requires carers to visit six times daily.
Mr Lewis-Williams, who worked as a warehouse manager prior to the attack, secured the maximum payout from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) following an appeal. However, that maximum sum of £500,000 was established three decades ago in April 1996. Mr Lewis-Williams’s wife Anna worries it will prove inadequate, reports North Wales Live.
Campaigners have demanded an end to the 30-year freeze on compensation for crime victims, arguing the amount is insufficient for future planning.
The payment goes to crime victims who have endured severe life-altering injuries, including brain damage and paralysis.
The funds are intended to cover their care alongside their long-term future, as their injuries frequently prevent them from working.
Nevertheless, fresh figures indicate that had the maximum sum increased with inflation, it would now exceed double the present limit – standing at £1,015,000.
One campaigner described the current amount as an “insult” to victims and their families. Those affected, along with lawyers, have voiced concerns that the funds will deplete, leaving them without essential support and impacting their overall quality of life.
Mrs Lewis-Williams, 45, told the Press Association: “Things are going to need replacing like his wheelchair and the van, they’re big things to pay out for which are not what the layman needs.
“You can’t go out and buy a car for £500, or £1,000, whereas we’ve got to get everything adapted. It’s not going to last. He’s just turned 50 and the expected life age of a male is 75 to 80, it’s another 25-30 years.
“You’ve got your car, you’ve got your family, prices are a lot higher than they were 30 years ago, we’ve got the cost-of-living crisis and what’s going on in Iran, the money has to last longer.”
Nichola, from north-west England, shares the same fears for her adopted teenage daughter Lou.
The secondary-school pupil has learning difficulties caused by brain damage from her biological mother taking drugs when she was pregnant, and giving drugs to her after she was born.
While Nichola says Lou has “defied the odds” and attends a mainstream school, she struggles with mental processing difficulties, mood disorders and behavioural conditions.
“The assessments are that she will struggle with maintaining a job, long-term, probably with the disciplines and the interpersonal relationships that are involved in it,” Nichola said.
“She’s got a significant amount of money and to anybody else that would be seem huge. But it’s got to last her a lifetime and she’s very young, so it might have to last her another 80 years.
“If you’re the kind of person who struggles to hold down a job, you’re not going to have a great deal in your pension when you come to retire. While you’re working, you’re probably going job to job, so there’s gaps.
“You’re probably a candidate for part-time lower-paid work because you can’t get your qualifications, so what doesn’t add up is that loss of earnings as a consequence of what happened, for her full life.”
Neil Sugarman, a solicitor who has handled criminal injuries cases and is the former president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (Apil), said the milestone should serve as a “wake-up call”.
Mr Sugarman said: “The 30th anniversary of the introduction of the maximum award of £500,000 for the most seriously injured innocent victims of crime should serve as a wake-up call to the Government that this is no longer acceptable.
“For adults and children who suffer catastrophic brain injury, are confined to a wheelchair or whose lives have been ruined by abuse, the fact that they have to manage with this amount for life through no fault of their own is an insult.”
Kim Harrison, a former president of Apil, demanded an urgent review of the cap. She said those affected have been ignored “for too long”. Ms Harrison stated: “While having a cap on compensation for survivors of crime is not perfect, at the very least it should be recognised that the amount established when the cap was set in 1996 will not go as far in today’s money, three decades on.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with all victims of violent crime.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned to make sure brave survivors get the support they deserve, with over £164 million paid out by the taxpayer-funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in 2024/25.”