Dad injured in Manchester Arena attack ‘denied compensation due to conviction’

Phil Hassell says his actions were influenced by his brain injury and regrets them (Picture: MEN Media)

A father-of-two seriously injured during the Manchester Arena bombing claims he has been unfairly denied compensation over a minor criminal offence.

Phil Hassell, who attended the Ariana Grande concert with his daughters, had to undergo brain surgery after shrapnel from a homemade bomb tore through his head, leg and side in May 2017.

He launched a criminal injury compensation claim and received an interim payment of £10,000 but says he received no further payments despite being unable to return to his job as a scaffolder for three years.

The 41-year-old, from Runcorn, said: ‘They had originally offered me £23,000 but this was based on me being back in work when I wasn’t so I rejected it and
appealed for more.’

Mr Hassell’s claim was still ongoing when, in October last year, he was convicted of sending a malicious communication at Warrington Magistrates Court and handed a 12-month community order.

Nine months later he received a letter from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority telling him awards can be withheld ‘because the applicant to who the award would be made has unspent convictions’.

He added: ‘I have a brain injury and I wasn’t thinking straight when [the offence] happened.

‘Because I retaliated and did something I regret I’ve been penalised.

Phil Hassell was operated on for five hours while surgeons removed shrapnel (Picture: MEN Media)

A chunk from Salman Abedi’s bomb became lodged deep inside his head (Picture: MEN Media)

‘They’ve said now I have a criminal conviction they can’t give me anything even though this happened three years after the event.

‘Putting the two crimes in comparison it is [like] nearly dying to calling a grown person a name.’

Mr Hassell also unsuccessfully appealed this decision, adding: ‘I have been forced back into work.

‘I have now come back to the same business I was working for before but I struggle a lot more figuring things out and I get easily confused.

Mr Hassell says he has been forced back into work by the failed claim (Picture: MEN Media)

‘It comes in stages where I feel really down and then it eases off but it could be any time I could go back to feeling down.’

A government spokesperson said: ‘These attacks were sickening acts of
terrorism and while no amount of money can make up for the suffering,
we are determined to provide victims with the support they need.

‘But to reflect the cost to society caused by offending, unspent convictions may lead to compensation payments being reduced or withheld.’

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