Dad's Generosity Cost Him His Life: Neighbour Assaulted Him Over £20 Debt

LENDING his neighbour Thomas Webber £20, Simon Edney could never have anticipated what would befall him.

Because when the 59-year-old grandfather asked for it back, he was beaten so brutally that he suffered catastrophic head injuries and subsequently died.

Simon Edney was a doting grandfatherCredit: True Life Stories Evil Thomas WebberCredit: True Life Stories

“His neighbourly kindness killed him,” says his daughter, Sarah, 40, from Bridgewater, .

“He was hit with the force of a train and passed away six weeks later.”

Now sales assistant Sarah, a mum-of-two, is speaking out not just to pay tribute to her dad but to warn of the dangers of punching people.

“Dad was killed over just £20. A tiny act of kindness ended up with him losing his life.

“I hope Dad’s story shows that no matter what, no one should make that split decision to punch someone.

“That form of violence may seem small at the time, but it can destroy many lives.”

Growing up, Simon was the heart of the family.

Sarah says: “My parents when I was 14, so Dad was always alone. He doted on me, my sisters and all of our children.

“He often made terrible ‘Dad’ jokes and would laugh at them himself. He was the epitome of the world’s best grandfather, too.

“He never came over empty-handed, always giving the kids sweets, and he loved to play with them and babysit.”

Sarah and her partner, Paul Smith, 42, a HGV driver, have two boys, Alister, 13, and Corey, six.

Sarah says her dad’s generous spirit had always been prevalent. But in 2002, aged 42 and while working in the YMCA, he was attacked while walking home with his shopping by a stranger. Police never found the culprit.

“Dad was left with a severe brain injury,” explains Sarah.

“He lost a lot of memories, especially his short-term memory. He’d forget seeing me the day before, and he’d re-tell me the same things. It was really hard for him. But he soldiered on, always trying to be his funny, perky self through the years.”

Sarah with Alistair, then eight, and Corey, then six monthsCredit: True Life Stories

In 2021, Simon told his daughter about a new neighbour. His daughter says: “Dad was 59 at the time. He told me a man called Thomas had moved in his apartment block, a few doors down. He didn’t like him. Dad said they didn’t get along as Thomas drank a lot. Over the next year, he’d moan about him occasionally.”

But in June 2022, Sarah received a phone call that would change her life forever.

She says: “My sister called me saying and he was in the hospital.

“My heart just sank. I was so confused as to who on earth would hurt Dad. I sped down to Southmead Hospital, , where Dad was in the emergency theatre. For hours, surgeons fought to remove a section of his brain, due to a bleed from being hit.

“I was begging to know what happened. An officer told me and my sisters he’d had an argument with someone in the block where he lived.

“I was confused as he would never hurt a fly. He had no quarrels with anyone, and usually kept to himself.

“After waiting anxiously for hours, a surgeon said as Dad already had a brain injury, it was really bad. But they managed to stop him from dying from the bleeding on the brain.

“They’d put him in an induced coma. Even if he did survive, it was unlikely he’d be the person he was before. I wanted to break down, but I knew I had to be strong. I held it together for Dad.

“I saw Dad in bed, lying still. His head was bandaged up, so I couldn’t see underneath. I was heartbroken.”

Sarah and her family all took turns to visit Simon in hospital. Meanwhile, they discovered Simon’s neighbour, Webber, had been arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH).

Sarah says: “Thomas had been hiding at his mum’s house when police found him. We still had no idea at that point why he’d attacked Dad. After the GBH charge, he was remanded in jail. My sisters, aunts, uncles and I continued to stay by Dad’s side.

“It was horrible not hearing him talk back, or making a funny joke.

“Sadly, his condition deteriorated, and he developed pneumonia. After he’d been in a coma for six weeks, he passed away. It was the worst moment of my life.

Sarah with her dad, Simon, when she was sixCredit: True Life Stories

“We all couldn’t believe Dad was gone forever. I wanted to get justice for him. That man hadn’t just robbed me of my father, but all our children of their beloved grandad.”

The truth of what happened slowly unravelled. Sarah and her family learned how despite not liking his neighbour, Simon had selflessly lent Webber £20.

Sarah says: “Months after lending him the £20, Dad asked for it back. But Thomas refused.

“Thomas then saw Dad in the corridor, and punched him to the floor, yelling ‘You aren’t getting your money back, old man.’

“Dad was able to get himself up, and hide in his flat. Half an hour later, Thomas saw Dad again in the corridor, and punched him one more time in the head.

“Dad collapsed to the floor again. This time, he couldn’t get up, and neighbours, who’d watched in horror, came to his aid.

“Thomas fled the apartment block. Dad returned to his flat, but due to his brain injury, he began writhing in pain and called an ambulance.”

In June 2023, Thomas Webber, now 34, Bridgwater, Somerset, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter at . He was sentenced to 10 years.

Sarah says: “Thomas was a violent man, who’d been in and out of trouble a lot. In court he’d initially tried to pretend he was defending himself.

“The judge said he hit dad with ‘the force of a train.’ Hearing it all was so hard. Dad had the biggest heart, and he didn’t deserve this. The way Thomas had come back to hit him again, was sickening and senseless. It was a relief he was imprisoned but I could never forgive him. Neither could my family.

“Since Dad passed, he has missed meeting two more of his grandchildren. It breaks my heart. Now, we’re just trying to remember Dad for his jokes, his quirks and his bright smile. Please, think twice before punching someone. A few moments was all it took to break our family apart.”