UPDATE: Puckree’s mother recalls morning she lost her son

“The pain of having to live without my child is unbearable and I wake up every morning, hoping this is all a bad dream.”

These are the words of Pushpa Puckree, whose 24-year-old son Dillon was brutally beaten by a group of men in Stanger Manor and died from his injuries three weeks ago.

The devastated mother said she hoped the 24, 22 and 17-year-old men accused of murder would get a life sentence. After their bail application was opposed, the two adult accused have abandoned their bail applications. All three remain in state custody.

Pushpa said Dillon was her only son and that she hoped his death would not be in vain.

She said many of the reports in the Stanger community and social media were incorrect.

“Many people say that the accused family contacted me with bribes to withdraw the case, but this is not true. They did not have any contact with me, not even to apologise for what has happened to my son.”

Sobbing, the mother who now lives alone in her house in Glenhills, recalled the morning she lost her son.

“Dillon went out with a relative for an event in Stanger Manor. His brother-in-law was talking about cars to some of the men who hit Dillon.

“One of the guys looked at Dillon in a strange way and Dillon asked what he was looking at. That was how the fight began. There were about five people hitting my son, who was helpless on the ground. My relative tried to pull the men away but when he pulled one of them, another would go back and continue to hit him.”

Pushpa said she was woken at 4 am by a relative who said Dillon had been taken to hospital after being beaten up.

“I did not think it was serious. In fact, I thought it was all a joke until I saw the blood on my relatives shirt.

“I asked them to take me to Stanger Hospital where I found my son in the casualty unit, unconscious.

“He was moved to ICU at around 11am. After the doctors did scans, we were told that he was almost brain dead as most of the injuries were to his head.”

‘Pushpa, who was widowed a few years ago, said she hoped that no parent would go through the pain of losing a child the way she did.

“I hope that a lesson is learned from this and that justice is served. So many people have supported me during this difficult time and I am so grateful.”

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