TV

DIY SOS viewers devastated by dad-of-three whose life was destroyed in brutal 90-second attack

The father-of-three was left unable to walk or talk after he was attacked

By Helen Fear

DIY SOS fans were sobbing and enraged in equal measure last night, as Nick Knowles and the makeover team arrived to help Simon Dobbins and his family.

In a story that made headline news, dad-of-three and football lover Simon was left severely brain-damaged – and unable to walk and talk – after a brutal 90-second attack by rival football supporters at a game.

Simon and his wife Nicole before the hideous attack changed their lives forever (Credit: BBC)

Read more: Nick Knowles claims I’m A Celeb producers ‘forced’ him to play guitar in the jungle

In March 2015, Simon was set upon by a gang of 13 men and viciously beaten up. He ended up in intensive care for a year after suffering a huge stroke and bleed on the brain.

Simon was left permanently brain-damaged, paralysed and needing round-the-clock care, and wife Nicole took on the role of his carer at their home in Mildenhall, Suffolk – but the house was just not suitable for their needs.

And this is where BBC’s DIY SOS stepped in to help.

Simon Dobbins and daughter before the attack
Simon and his daughter before he suffered a huge stroke (Credit: BBC)

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At the beginning of the show, Simon was sleeping and being washed in the living room with only a curtain for privacy, and his rehabilitation was being severely compromised. 

Nick Knowles, who spent his teenage years in Mildenhall, was joined by the usual SOS gang, along with designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, to help.

The professionals worked their magic, installing monitors so Nicole can keep an eye on her husband.

Doors were widened to make access easier for Simon’s wheelchair, and he now has his own space to watch television.

Simon, 45, now also has his own room and wet room for showering and bathing, giving him the privacy he so desperately lacked.

Meanwhile viewers were shell-shocked to hear Simon’s story – and enraged to learn that, although 13 hooligans were convicted for their part in the “brutal and unprovoked attack”, the men received sentences from as little as two and half to five years.

While some viewers simply “blubbed” to hear the devastating story, others fumed about the planning regulations which complicated matters for the family.

One said: “Planners in #Mildenhall should be ashamed of themselves. Denying planning consent + making this project tougher than it needs to be #DIYSOS.”

Another blasted: “Can someone please explain to me how the culprits who attacked this poor bloke on #DIYSOS only got 3 years in jail???? This family man could have died… thankfully he lived but his life will never be the same again. Yet in 18 months they’ll be free to walk the streets again.”

Another called for “life sentences”, while one more said: “#DIYSOS has me in tears! Life is so cruel! 3 years each for destroying a guy’s life.” [sic]

https://twitter.com/Jetjockie89/status/1085996831572664322

https://twitter.com/HulbertMathew/status/1085996276452376576

Did you watch DIY SOS? What did you think of the Simon Dobbins story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.

Helen Fear
TV Editor