Man jailed for one-punch attack in Rishton
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
The man pictured is Nathan Williams and he has today been jailed for a one-punch attack he committed in Rishton.
Williams assaulted his victim in George Street, leaving his victim with what Judge Geoffrey Lowe said at Preston Crown Court on Friday (10th October) was a “grave and life-threatening injury”.
In the early hours of 17th June 2023, the victim – a man in his 20s – came across 41-year-old Williams, who he knew on George Street.
After a brief conversation, the discussion became heated and both men began to walk off in separate directions. Without warning, Williams turned and punched the victim once to the face. This caused him to fall backwards onto the ground, knocking his head on the concrete floor.
After initially being taken to his girlfriend’s, the victim was transported to hospital with a serious head injury.
As a result of the attack, the victim has been left with life-changing injuries.
Williams, of Fleetwood Close, Blackburn, was arrested six days after the attack.
Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, he was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.
He pleaded guilty at a hearing earlier this year and was jailed for three years. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.
In a statement to the court, the victim said: “Following the assault on 17th June 2023, I attended hospital and was placed in an induced coma as I had a bleed on my brain and had to have the front part of my skull removed. I was told that if they didn't remove part of my skull I could die due to the swelling. My family were told that there was an 80% chance of dying which was obviously very upsetting for them.
“Following surgery, I was in a coma for two and a half weeks. When I woke up I was on morphine and was in hospital for seven weeks in total. I lost four stone whilst in hospital as I was placed on a food drip due to the risk of choking.
“When I was discharged I was then off work for several months whilst I recovered. I was required to wear a helmet for a year and a half whilst awaiting further surgery. This was to protect my head when going about my daily life. The reason for the delay in having surgery was because I required two titanium plates which had to be custom made in Germany. After the metal plates were fitted, I was in rehab for five days specifically for people suffering with head injuries. I was worried that I would get accidentally knocked by someone and ended up staying in my room most of the time. This led to me feeling isolated during my stay.
“DVLA were made aware of my injury and my driving licence was subsequently revoked for five months. This had a major impact on my life as I was unable to go about my day-to-day life and also affected my work. I felt lost as I no longer had the freedom and independence to go about my daily routine.”
He added: “It has now been around two and half years since the incident and I still feel the effects, specifically feeling wary in social situations and even going about my day-to-day life. I feel on edge in crowded places, for example going to the pub and other events where alcohol is involved. I am not able to enjoy myself as much like I used to and feel this has affected me overall as a person.
“Not only that, I still don't know what the long-term effects will be in terms of my health and just hope that I am not affected in later life.
DS Cheryl Taylor, of Blackburn CID, said: "While it’s not for me to comment on any sentence, I am pleased that Williams has been held accountable for his actions in June 2023. He caused catastrophic injuries to the victim in this case, who was the subject of an unprovoked attack whilst enjoying a night out.
“Whilst I acknowledge the defendant did not intend the outcome, this case reflects the potential for horrific outcomes whenever people choose to use violence. The message is clear - one punch can kill or cause serious injury.”
