JAMES Attfield was born on October 19, 1980, and died aged 33 on March 29, 2014.

He grew up in Upminster and Coggeshall and attended Colchester Sixth Form College on North Hill.

In 2010, he was hit by a car after leaving a pub in Grays and suffered a brain injury. It caused the left side of his body to be weak and affected his reasoning and speech.

The dad-of-five moved to Colchester on his own in 2012, with support from brain injury charity Headway Essex, and lived in supported accommodation in East Bay, Colchester.

He was rebuilding his life, with help from sisters Ashlee Waller and Jo Robinson, when he was stabbed to death.

Despite his injuries he was “always smiling and continuously challenging himself and always pushed himself to assist his recovery,”, she said.

He studied at Colchester Institute and it was his student card which identified him to police when he was found.

His remarkable improvement saw him start to go out on his own, including to his favourite pub The Goat and Boot in East Hill, Colchester, for karaoke nights.

He was teaching himself to play the keyboard and guitar.

Among his favourite bands were the Script, Scouting for Girls, Coldplay and Snow Patrol.

Known as kind, gentle and always smiling his progress despite adversity inspired others, according to those working at Headway.

Earlier on the fateful day of his death, he was filmed on CCTV walking up East Hill and withdrawing money from the post office in Head Street.

His funeral was held on June 30, 2014, at St Peter’s Church, Coggeshall.

n In a video released by the charity, Mr Attfield speaks articulately about having a brain injury.

He said: “I came to Headway last year because I was run over.

“I was in a coma and in a very bad way apparently. It’s hard to pinpoint, but I would say I have changed –- absolutely.

“People think you have got a disability and think ‘you must be stupid’. It is very frustrating.”

The dad-of-five also said he had gained a social network from attending Headway events.