I was living in shared accommodation to make it cheaper and live closer to my work in the centre of town. This meant that I did not know all my flatmates. We each had our own rooms with a lock on the door, but also had shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.

I came back home late, after a long shift at work and one of my flatmates was in the kitchen smoking and looking at his phone. He said something to me I did not catch, but sounded angry and then said that I owned him money. He started shouting and stood up threatening me with all sorts of things he was going to do.

I do not know where the misunderstanding about the money came from; I offered him all the cash I had, but he said it was not enough and he just started hitting me. All the blows were to my head and face, and it was intensely painful.

He did not stop until someone came in and pulled him off me. Then he ran out and we called the police and an ambulance. I could not see; my eyes were so swollen.

At hospital they told me I had multiple fractures to my face, right across both sides of my nose, cheekbones, and jaw. I needed surgery more than once before amazingly everything did fully heal.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority awarded me £11,000 for my injuries, the highest tariff it is possible to get for broken bones in the face.