by Lucy Stroud, Daily Mirror
AN 18th birthday is an important milestone for any youngster but Jessica Knight celebrated by getting plastic surgery after surviving a horrific knife attack.
Stabbed 30 times in the chest, stomach, back and neck in an unprovoked assault which severed her jugular vein, perforated her bowel twice and damaged her lung, Jess should not be here today.
So she wanted to take another step towards eradicating the memory of that terrible day three years ago which left her close to death. And she is ecstatic about her birthday present from her parents – the much longed-for cosmetic surgery to cover up her deepest scar, a daily reminder of the harrowing attack.
Jess says: “Getting plastic surgery for my 18th birthday has been the best present. Some people might want money or clothes but for me it’s the surgery.
“The plastic surgery is for the biggest scar I had on my left arm. I would stare at it all the time and find myself thinking back to the attack. It would bring back all the horrific nightmares and I found it was holding me back from moving on. It means I can make a fresh start.”
Jess was left battling for her life after the frenzied knifing by former chef Kristofer Beddar, who pounced as she listened to her iPod while walking through a park near her home in Chorley, Lancashire, on January 21, 2008.
Amazingly, after six days in a coma and three months in hospital, Jess pulled through – and, despite it all, she doesn’t feel anger towards her would-be killer.
She says: “When I think of him I just feel like he is some bad ex-boyfriend, that you just want out of your life.”
But there is another physical legacy of the attack which can’t be cured by anything as simple as plastic surgery.
A series of mini-strokes has left her slurring her words and her uncertain health played havoc with her education. Jess says: “A lot of things people take for granted, I’ve missed out on. I missed out on an education. I’ve tried to make it up, by doing a foundation course, but that has ended up not working out because I cannot guarantee a full attendance.
“My attack still haunts me as I have mini-strokes which make my speech slurred and my leg go numb and mean I can’t walk, and I get double-vision. No one can predict when they will kick off.”
However, she is determined to celebrate her 18th like any other youngster. The excited teenager says: “My birthday is the same day as the royal wedding, and my mum is keeping my other presents as a big surprise. On the day I’m going into town with my friends on a pub crawl. I don’t like meeting new people so I hold my friends very close to me.
“I have a boyfriend. We’ve only been going out for a couple of months but we’ve known each other for a year and have liked each other that amount of time.
“But I have serious trust issues and always have my guard up, so it’s been hard for him.
“My brother Chris, who is 21, is very protective but he is in Leeds at the moment. He hasn’t met my boyfriend and when he does it will be a tough test as Chris always looks out for me.”
For mum Jill, 41, that night three years ago is one that will always be etched in her memory.
She says: “That night was the worst night of my life. The image that will forever haunt me is seeing her in intensive care, hooked up to drips and a life-support machine.”
French national Beddar, then 21, was caught after confessing to his mother, who told police and gave evidence against him at Preston crown court, where he was was jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years for attempted murder.
Despite her lack of anger towards her attacker, Jess adds: “I am scared of him being released. I am scared in case he hurts someone else or even that he comes back after me.
“He might go back to his old ways as he obviously has anger issues and a leopard can’t change its spots.”
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