Published: Thursday, 29th May, 2008 15:00
Shooting victim: latest
By Annabel Williams
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THE father-of-two shot in the face in Caversham earlier this month is out of intensive care but is due to have another operation in the next 10 days.
Stuart Purser was shot in the communal doorway of the block of flats where he lives with his girlfriend and her 10-year-old son in Mead Close.
The 26-year-old was blasted at point-blank range with a shotgun at 9.30pm on May 5, but is now making a good recovery at Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Stuart, who has an eight-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, came out of intensive care on Sunday morning and has been moved to a rehabilitation ward. He is breathing on his own but is being fed by machine.
His brother, Ricky, says the former Little Heath School pupil’s next operation will involve reconstruction work to his face.
Ricky, 27, said yesterday (Wednesday): “He’s obviously finding things a little bit difficult at the moment, he’s trying to come to terms with everything that’s going on.
“Before, when he was sedated, it was difficult to see him like that, but now we can see how upset he is with it all.
“He’s off life support which is a massive step forward, and I don’t think he’s taking any medications at all.
“No-one knows what the next steps are. He’s getting through the physical side, now he has to get through the mental side too.”
His brother’s identity was only made public on Tuesday but Ricky said: “We had lots of texts and messages from people who didn’t know, people saying they hope he gets better soon.
“He’s aware his name’s been released to the media and he’s aware of the well wishers.
“He just wants this solved now, he wants the person who did it caught.”
Officers are still trying to trace a man on a dark-coloured motorbike seen in the Mead Close area up to five hours before Stuart was shot, and the driver of a silver car seen in the close that day.
Thames Valley Police spokesman Adam Fisher says the fact that Stuart was acquitted of charges of dealing class A drugs in March this year is just one of officers’ lines of inquiry.
Anyone with information on the case can contact Detective Chief Inspector Mick Saunders, of Reading’s major crime unit, on 08458 505505.
*A 28-year-old Tilehurst man arrested of May 13 in connection with the shooting is on bail and is due to return to Maidenhead police station next Thursday.
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