15:16 Thursday 27 April 2017 A Crown Court judge has spoken of the potentially devastating consequences of wreckless drunken behaviour following a one punch incident that left a young man with a brain injury. The injured party had been out celebrating his A-level results in the centre of Belfast last June when he was punched by Holywood man Benedict John Lowry. After falling and striking his head on the cobbles, the 18-year-old was rushed to the Mater Hospital. He sustained brain injuries in the incident, and continues to receive medical treatment. During Thursdays sentencing, Judge Smyth said similar incidents have resulted in one person dying and another charged with manslaughter. Lowry, from Bangor Road in Holywood, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the other man as a result of the early morning incident on June 23, 2016. The 20-year-old was handed a combination order of 12 months probation and 80 hours community service after being told it was accepted his behaviour was totally out of character and that his remorse was geniune. Prior to passing sentence, Judge Smyth was informed the incident occurred after two groups of friends clashed in a nightclub on Dunbar Link. This initial altercation didnt involve … Continue reading →

BBC News Rugby player Lily Partridge died after opponent's knee hit head - BBC BBC News A rugby player collapsed with a head injury minutes after an opponent's knee hit her head, an inquest heard. Lily Partridge, 22, complained of a headache after ... Parents of tragic Lily Partridge urge all players to have brain scans if they suffer head injuriesDevon Live Devon female rugby player, 23, died after training matchDaily Mail Rugby player's parents call for routine brain scans after her deathThe Guardian ITV News all 4 news articles » Read this article: Rugby player Lily Partridge died after opponent's knee hit head - BBC - BBC News … Continue reading →

TURKU, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every time a professional football player makes headlines because of a severe concussion sustained on the playing field, a researcher and neurobiologist Dr. Adrian Harel is reminded of the urgent need for more effective protocols to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Harel and his team are intensely pursuing breakthrough rapid diagnostic test and treatments for TBI with a new class of drugs. What so many people fail to realize is that even if a player isnt thrown into a coma or vegetative state by the injury, TBI can have long-lasting effects that may ultimately end in tragedy. Dr. Harel says. Sports-related TBI among professional athletes is a serious problem. In the US alone, there are annually more than 300,000 cases where athletes are suffering from concussion and TBIs that result in loss of consciousness. The medical community is well aware of the importance of early intervention in all forms and degrees of TBI. We are simply seeing too many of our best athletes [ice-hockey, rugby, football, boxing ] permanently brain-damaged, says Dr. Harel, not to mention the millions of other cases of TBI sustained by people of all ages as a result of vehicle crashes, … Continue reading →

The heartbroken parents of a popular Exeter rugby player Lily Partridge who died of a head injury after playing the sport she loved have said she will never be forgotten by the people who loved her. An inquest at Exeter's County Hall today heard that although the 22-year-old, of Exeter, had suffered other previous head injuries, it was an incident during a training session on December 6, 2015, that caused her death. However, the exact cause of how she sustained the injury was unable to be determined. After the hearing, her heartbroken parents Jeff and Liz urged players to have brain scans if suffer any head injury during matches. The 61-year-old couple, from Exeter, Devon, said: "Lily loved playing rugby and her dream was to represent Devon. She was the victim of a tragic accident and no one is to blame for what happened to her. "Rugby is a hard game and Lily took all the precautions to protect herself when playing. "She had suffered a couple of concussions earlier in the year but had seen her GP and had followed the RFU protocols in taking time off not playing. Read next: Since when has our dear old Torquay been … Continue reading →