Asperger’s sufferer left paralysed after he fell from bridge while fleeing thugs reveals the horror moment he lost his footing as they threw stones at him

Joshua Davies fell 50ft on to dry riverbed after being chased by yobs

'Last thing I remember is stone hitting my foot then I splipped'



He fell on to rocks, breaking his spine, both arms and both legs

Three youths arrested after the incident remain on police bail



Teenager now faces life in a wheelchair and was told he'll never walk again

A teenager bullied for having Asperger’s and told he will never walk again after falling 50ft from a bridge has told of the horrific moment he lost his footing while scrambling to escape his tormentors.

Joshua Davies, 18, was running away from a gang of boys across a river when he plummeted on to rocks below, breaking his spine in four places and leaving him paralysed from the waist down.

He said he has been picked on relentlessly over the past five years by a group of younger teenagers, and said the last thing he remembered as he slipped and fell was stones being hurled at him in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd.



Joshua Davies, 18, was running away from a gang of boys across a river when he plummeted on to rocks below, breaking his spine in four places and leaving him paralysed from the waist down

The teenager said he has been picked on relentlessly over the past five years by a group of younger teenagers, and said the last thing he remembered as he slipped and fell was stones being hurled at him

The teenager, who has Asperger’s syndrome, had been working as a ride attendant at a travelling funfair over the summer, before his accident on August 17.

He said: 'The last thing I remember is a stone hitting my foot and then I slipped and fell.

'I’d just got back from Plymouth and I was going into town to catch up with some friends.

He was walking with a friend in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd, when the pair noticed they were being followed.

'There were three of them. I got anxious and I said we should move, but they carried on following us.

'It was then I heard one of them shout, "There they are - let’s get them".



'There were more boys coming from the weir and I started to feel paranoid.'

Joshua said he decided to climb the steel supports of the bridge over the River Taff to try to get away from the gang.

Joshua said he decided to climb the steel supports of the bridge over the River Taff to try to get away from the gang

'We started climbing and it did not seem that high,' he said. 'But as we climbed, they started throwing stones at us.

'The last thing I remember is one of the stones hitting my shoulder and then another hit my foot and I slipped and fell.'

The teenager’s family believe he was unconscious for a few minutes, while his friend called an ambulance.

'The next thing I remember is lying on the floor with my legs in the water and my back on the rocks,” he recalled.



'I tried to move my legs, but I couldn’t and I got scared.'

The ambulance arrived around 3.30pm and he was taken to the University Hospital of Wales.

Joshua pictured before the incident. A month after his accident, Joshua is still recovering in hospital, where he has undergone three operations and will not be able to sit up for another few weeks

'The next thing I knew, I was being put on a spinal board and after that, everything is a massive blur until after the first operation,' he said.

A month after his accident, Joshua is still recovering in hospital, where he has undergone three operations and will not be able to sit up for another few weeks. He will then move to Rookwood Hospital in Fairwater, where he is expected to spend the next six months.

Despite his injuries, the teenager remains upbeat and looks forward to visits from his sisters - two-year-old Alana-May and 10-year-old Rachel.

His brothers Michael, 13, Cameron, 16, and Kyle, 21, have also been paying him regular visits, along with mother Cheryl and step-father Michael.

'My family are coming to see me a lot, which is great, because otherwise the days can seem long,' he said. 'But I am feeling a lot better and I am trying not to let anything bring me down.'

Cheryl Morgan, 44, who is a full-time carer for her 13-year-old son Michael, admits she is worried for her family following Joshua’s fall.

She said: 'I am scared for my children, especially Michael, who has autism too. I know people pick on him already.'

Michael was diagnosed with autism when he was eight months old, which prompted the family to get Joshua checked. He was subsequently diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at 14.

His stepfather Michael said: 'He has been forced to avoid certain areas, which has made him a prisoner in his own community. He has felt threatened and been constantly on edge - all because he is an easy target.'

Joshua added: 'It made me frightened to leave the house.'

Three youths - two aged 15 and one aged 16 - were arrested following the incident and remain on police bail while inquiries continue.

