By Holly Thompson
The parents of Danny Hodgson, once a rising soccer star, now severely disabled by an unprovoked one-punch assault in the Perth CBD that left him near death, have said upon his attacker’s sentencing that their son is facing his own life sentence.
The teenager has been sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars for what the judge described as “seven months of mayhem” that culminated in his running into Mr Hodgson, who had been enjoying a night out with his teammates from ECU Joondalup after the final soccer game of the season.
Danny Hodgson’s parents Peter and Nicola Hodgson outside court on Friday. Credit: Holly Thompson
“We have to remember that [the perpetrator] was 17 years old,” Mrs Hodgson said outside court.
“We are just hoping rehabilitation will do him justice and he’ll come out a better person.
“No sentence would have been long enough for what we would have wanted, but we just wanted a bit of justice done for Danny.”
His father Peter Hodgson said after hearing how the teenager – 16 at the time of the assault, now 17, and who cannot be named for legal reasons – had attacked others, it was clear he should not have been on the streets.
Mrs Hodgson said it was clear the system had let not only Danny down, but the teenager too by granting him bail over previous assaults.
She said she was in awe of Danny’s courage and determination, but his recovery had been slow and painful.
The attacker appeared in Perth Children’s Court on Friday to be sentenced over a string of charges, including multiple assaults on other adult men.
The most serious charge, grievous bodily harm against Mr Hodgson, carried the highest penalty of three years and six months. It was revealed the teenager was meant to be on a 24-hour curfew when he attacked.
Danny Hodgson’s mum, Nicola, said her son’s recovery had been slow and painful.Credit: Facebook
Footage of the incident from September 5 last year was played in court and showed the teenager punch Mr Hodgson without warning, causing him to fall and smack his head on the concrete floor at Perth Train Station.
The teenager then ran off, leaving witnesses to try to help Mr Hodgson and call an ambulance, and attempted to disguise his appearance by removing his hat and borrowing a jacket from a friend.
State prosecutor Brad Hollingsworth described the attack as sudden, cowardly and ruthless, with no justification.
He said it was one of the most serious cases of grievous bodily harm committed by either adult or child in the state.
Victim impact statements were submitted from Danny’s family, parts of which were read out in court.
Jessica Pollock, Mr Hodgson’s girlfriend, said she was “broken” watching him recover and “tired of being brave”; the senior Mr Hodgson said he couldn’t think about what had happened without crying.
His mother Nicola said he had spent 187 days in hospital re-learning everything he had as a newborn.
“The first smile in his ICU bed was as special as the first smile he gave me when he was six months old,” she said.
“But what is great to see from a newborn is devastating to see from a 26-year-old in the prime of his life ... I want the thug to know that he has broken me.”
Danny Hodgson was left fighting for his life in a coma and is now recovering with the support of his family, who flew over from the UK to be with their son.
In a letter to the court, the 17-year-old said: “I know I have ruined that guy’s life … he can’t walk or play soccer anymore and that makes me sick.”
His lawyer Alana Woldan said her client suffered from foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which had impacted his ability to handle confrontation.
It was revealed he was exposed to drug use and domestic violence since moving to Perth from Port Hedland in late 2020, and his offending started shortly after.
“There was a lack of interest in where he was going, or when he would be home,” Ms Woldan said.
She said that was why he ended up staying out late despite being bailed from a prior assault on a 24-hour curfew, though none of his circumstances excused his actions.
Ms Woldan admitted Mr Hodgson had been vulnerable, with no opportunity to defend himself, and his injuries were catastrophic.
Mr Hollingsworth said Mr Hodgson’s family had been told multiple times he was likely to die.
“The vast majority of people in the victim’s position would not have survived,” Mr Hollingsworth said.
“Through his strong will to live and help from family and doctors he has survived … in a way no one expected.”
When handing out the sentence, Judge Hylton Quail said the teenager was responsible for the family’s trauma.
“[Danny] is no longer the person he was, and may never be again,” he said.
He also discussed the other charges the teenager faced.
“From a very young age you have been told it is OK to drink and fight ... but alcohol is never an excuse for violence,” he said.
He also said the teenager had “jumped in at the deep end” by committing such serious offences without any convictions prior to February 2021.
On Friday morning, before the sentence was handed down, Mr Hodgson’s mother Nicola released a statement.
She said the boy had “irrevocably changed Danny’s future through an unimaginable act of violence” and called for the judge to hand out the maximum penalty of 10 years.
“While 10 years won’t come anywhere near the life sentence imposed on Danny, we believe his perpetrator must face the most serious consequences for the pain and suffering he has inflicted on an innocent young man,” she said.
“[Friday’s] sentencing is an opportunity for WA’s judicial system to say enough is enough.
Danny Hodgson’s parents Peter and Nicola Hodgson.Credit: Holly Thompson
“It must loudly and clearly declare that coward punches must stop and demonstrate that the penalty for those who recklessly attack innocent people acknowledges the terrible, far-reaching impact these acts have on victims and their families.
“It is heartbreaking to contemplate all Danny has lost, and we have no way of knowing if he will ever walk again, let alone run out onto a football pitch and score a goal or even hold down a job.”
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