STABBING victim Abigail Witchalls is being forced to rely on donations from well-wishers because of a delay in compensation payments.
Abigail, a mother of two who was left paralysed after a vicious knife attack, has had to put on hold plans for a cottage with wheelchair access and a chapel in the grounds of the family house as she has received only half the expected amount from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
Abigail was awarded
£500,000 — the maximum payout available — yet to date has received only £250,000. A statement on the Abigail Witchalls Trust website said that the family hoped to create more suitable accommodation but was still waiting for a decision on the amount of compensation Abigail was to receive.
She was 10 weeks pregnant when she was attacked. She was given the last rites but she and her unborn baby survived. The child, Dominic, was born six months later.