Worthing park assault: Alan Willson's wife distraught to discover one of his attackers could be out of prison this month

Three teenagers were convicted, in July, for their part in a violent assault which left Alan with life-changing injuries on Easter Sunday last year.

One of the boys, Harry Furlong, 18, of Horsham, was acquitted of grievous bodily harm with intent but found guilty by a majority jury of grievous bodily harm without intent.

Furlong, who was not classified as a dangerous offender, was given a 20-month sentence, minus time already spent on remand. It was decided that he would serve half his sentence in custody and half on licence.

Now, one month on, Alan’s wife, Annie, said she received a call from the HM Prison and Probation Service, stating that Furlong would be released on license at the end of this month. Annie said she was asked what added conditions, she wanted to have included on the terms of his release from prison.

"Is that what my husband's previous life is worth?” Annie asked.

“It is awful. No one explained it to us.

“We were not happy with 20 months in the first place.

"But the justice system takes off what they have to take off the minute he steps foot inside a prison.

"Had I of known that, I would have appealed.

“As a family which have never been in trouble with the law, you don't know how to navigate around these circumstances.”

However, the Ministry of Justice said no final decision has yet been made.

A spokesperson said: “This was an horrific crime and our sympathies remain with Mr Willson and his family.

“Sentencing is a matter for independent judges and no decision has been made about whether Harry Furlong will be released on Home Detention Curfew.

"Those who are face strict conditions which if broken can see them recalled to prison.”

Alan, 47, suffered such catastrophic brain injuries that even now, more than a year later, he is still unable to talk.

Annie said he is also unable to write or ‘point to a picture card’.

Annie said the lack of clarity surrounding Furlong’s release from prison has worsened her ordeal.

"My faith in the justice system is shot to pieces now,” she said.

“All I know is our lives have changed horrendously and we are struggling.

"Life is very hard. I haven't really spoken to my husband for over a year.

"I miss it. I miss it a lot.

"Life on a daily basis is very difficult for him. He knows what he wants to say but he just can't say it.

“When he's in pain, we don't know he's in pain.

“There's nothing I can do about it. I've got to crack on with life to support Alan and keep his spirits up.”

Fourteen and sixteen-year-old Worthing teenagers George and Archie Tilley were found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent by a unanimous jury.

They were both classified as dangerous offenders and given extended 12-year sentences to include a maximum of nine years in custody and three years on licence, police said.

Annie said she was ‘happy with that’ as ‘six years in custody is a very long time for a teenager’.

However, the ‘least’ she wanted for Furlong was for him to ‘serve his one year’.

"He shouldn't be out until January 2023,” she said.

Annie said she had been ‘left with nothing’, after having to sell a number of her possessions to raise funds for Alan’s treatment.

"We don't have an income and we have been waiting a year for the criminal injuries [compensation] to come through,” she said.

"My universal credit will be stopped. I have sold every single piece of jewellery I have.

"I’m just short of selling a kidney. I have nothing.

"This is the other thing people don't understand this.

"Because of what they've done, I have nothing and I didn't even know these people.”

The Ministry of Justice said Furlong served 112 days on remand before he was sentenced.

They said it was ‘only a possibility’ he would be granted Home Detention Curfew and would instead stay in prison until the halfway point of his sentence.

The MOJ said prisoners serving standard determinate sentences of at least 12 weeks, but less than four years, can be considered for release before their automatic release date under the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme.

Offenders are released on HDC subject to strict licence conditions and ‘only once a robust risk management plan is in place’.

An electronically monitored curfew of at least nine hours per day is ‘mandatory’ and the prison governor can add additional conditions to the licence ‘where appropriate’.

Have you read?: Severe weather warning from West Sussex County Council for Wednesday, August 17: flooding of homes and businesses 'likely'

25th World Scout Jamboree: Scout leaders from Worthing and Littlehampton selected for UK service team

Fury as Southern Water pumps sewage into eight Sussex beaches

For the latest breaking news where you live in Sussex, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.