A 67-year-old grandad from Sunderland says karaoke saved his life after a brutal unprovoked street attack left him feeling suicidal and unable to work.
Norman Cooke was attacked by two teenage thugs as he walked through Sunderland city centre three years ago. He spent two weeks in hospital after being knocked unconscious and repeatedly kicked and punched.
The attack left Norman unable to continue doing the job he loved and frightened to go out alone. But determined not to let the vile attackers ruin his life, he found the courage to go out again and started visiting karaoke bars in the city centre.
Finding confidence through karaoke
After experiencing the buzz of taking the mic and belting out his favourite songs, Norman has credited the popular Japanese musical pastime with giving him his confidence and independence back.
He said: "I had always liked my music and after I was attacked I just thought, I have got nothing to lose now. It's saved my life. It's given me my confidence back."
Norman had been out with his friend Carla Nossini to celebrate the life of a friend who had recently passed away when the pair came across Thomas Courtney and Lincoln Hudson near Sunderland bus station.
The attack
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Carla made a "harmless comment" towards some youths, who were sitting in a doorway, remarking that they had a nice cool spot to sit on the hot summer night. Violence quickly flared after some of the teens took umbrage to the comment.
Then-16-year-old Courtney and two girls attacked Carla. As Norman attempted to protect her, Courtney and then-15-year-old Hudson turned on him. He was repeatedly punched and kicked, including to the head after he fell to the ground, leaving him unconscious.
Courtney also stole Norman's mobile phone during the attack, and Hudson went on to send a Snapchat video of his bloodied face to a friend. Norman was taken to hospital by ambulance where medics discovered he had a small pooling of blood between his skull and brain.
Life after the attack
Following his discharge, he was forced to leave his job at Sunderland's Nissan factory due to the impact of the attack, and he is likely to be on medication for the rest of his life.
Norman told ChronicleLive he was initially scared to go out, but now arranges to meet friends in the city so he feels safe. He said: "I put myself in the mindset that I wasn't going to let them ruin my life. I have got a good group of friends who support me. I'm only here now because I have made new friends. Thanks to Facebook I got in touch with a lot of my old school friends who said; 'come on, you are better than this'."
Norman now likes nothing better than performing the songs of his favourite artists, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and T-Rex, with Cocker's "Unchain My Heart" a particular favourite. He says he now has a following of supporters who cheer him on as he sings at the Beehive and Ada's in Sunderland.
He added: "I do try to get out. I immerse myself in karaoke. Now I have got a little fan club. I do a lot of art work as well."
Sentencing
The sentencing of Norman's attackers was delayed as the courts attempted to clear backlogs from the Covid pandemic. Both were spared jail when they were finally sentenced last week.
Hudson, 18, of Bedburn Road, in Hamsterley, near Bishop Auckland, who had three previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempted GBH with intent. Courtney, 19, of Ashbourne Road in Stockton, who had nine previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause GBH with intent, assault and two counts of theft.
Recorder Richard Herrmann sentenced both of them to two years in prison suspended for two years with 250 hours unpaid work and programme requirements. Two females previously received out of court disposals for the role they played in the incident, the court heard.
