A man who nearly died after being kicked into the path of an oncoming van said he was 'devastated' after learning his attacker could be released early from prison. 

James Hatcher, 41, was walking home when he was kicked in front of a moving van by Salman Kamraman Karim, who he did not know. 

Shocking video footage shows the man falling in front of the van after being kicked by Karim.  

The random, unprompted attack took place on Brighton Road in South Croydon in August 2025.

Mr Hatcher suffered life-threatening injuries, including a bleed on the brain and broken legs, ribs, jaw and pelvis. 

He was placed in an induced coma and underwent multiple life-saving operations before waking up six days later.

Mr Hatcher, a crane driver, had to relearn how to walk and, more than a year after the attack, is still undergoing physiotherapy to help with his mobility and is unable to work. 

On June 4, 2026, Salman Kamraman Karim was found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent at Croydon Crown Court and sentenced to 11 years in prison. 

But on July 20, 2026, James received a letter from the Ministry of Justice saying that Karim was eligible for early release – just a few months into his sentence.

Mr Hatcher, from Croydon, said: 'It is sickening that he is eligible for early release.

'He got sentenced in June, and I am being told that he is eligible for early release.

'If it weren't for the air ambulance staff, I would not be alive today.'

Under Labour's early release scheme, prisoners who will currently be released after two thirds of their sentence, like Karim, will be released in half the time.   

More than 700 offenders were released from prison on Thursday as part of an effort to ease pressure on Britain's overcrowded prisons. 

More than 4,500 inmates, including violent criminals, will be eligible for early release over the next ten months under Labour's soft-justice programme. 

As well as thieves and fraudsters, they include domestic abusers and criminals convicted of certain violent or sexual offences – raising fears for the safety of victims. 

Mr Hatcher said that the prospect of his attacker being released early has 'really hurt' him. 

On the day of the attack, he decided to walk home after getting a haircut when he was kicked at random. 

He had noise-cancelling headphones in as he walked down the road when a man kicked him in front of an oncoming vehicle. 

'It was a really nice day. I had my haircut, and the bus wasn't due for a while, so I decided to walk,' Mr Hatcher said. 

'I was walking along the road when a man came out of the vape shop and kicked me in front of an oncoming van.

'I hit the floor straight away; there was a crowd of people who circled me before the police came and shut the road.'

Mr Hatcher said that he required the assistance of the London Air Ambulance team, who arrived in nine minutes. 

He said: 'I broke my legs, my pelvis, ribs, wrist, jaw and had a punctured lung - I had life-threatening injuries.

'I also had a bleed on the brain.

'I was placed in a coma for six days, and underwent multiple operations before I came around.'

Six days after the horrific attack, he woke up from his coma having no idea where he was. 

When he woke up, Mr Hatcher said he 'couldn't feel his legs' and realised he was lucky to be alive. 

The crane driver spent six weeks in hospital, where he had to relearn how to walk. 

To this day, he struggles with mobility and is unable to work. 

Mr Hatcher said: 'At first I couldn't feel either of my legs; they were really numb. But slowly but surely they came back, and I was able to move them.

'I still have to go to physio now.' 

At Croydon Crown Court, Karim was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm but acquitted of attempted murder.

On June 4, 2026, Karim was sentenced to 11 years in prison, but is facing release just months later. 

At the trial, Mr Hatcher didn't want to see Karim's face, but decided to attend the sentencing and face down his attacker.

He said: 'I was on my crutches; it was horrible to see him.

'I was looking him straight in the eyes, thinking, "you piece of s***".

'11 years was not a long enough punishment in my opinion; I could have died.'

On July 20, 2026, James received a letter from the Ministry of Justice saying that Karim was eligible for early release.

Mr Hatcher said he was horrified that Karim is eligible, just over a year after the attack, when he is still dealing with the effects of what happened.

'I am still feeling the effects of what he did to me,' he said.

'I am unable to work; the fact that he is eligible for early release really hurts me.'

Last week hundreds of convicts streamed out of prison as part of Labour's early release scheme. 

Criminals grinned with delight and embraced girlfriends waiting for them outside the gates – while others hid their faces using balaclavas and bin bags. 

Labour's soft justice bonanza comes after its previous early release scheme, launched two years ago, led to more than 70,000 criminals being freed early from jail.  

Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, said Labour's scheme put the public at risk.

'Today's releases are an insult to victims, a danger to the public, and will only encourage more lawbreaking from criminals who know they have a ticket out of prison,' he said.

'Labour say they have no choice but to release prisoners early, but we know they don't believe in prison. It is their decision to release vile criminals including abusers, historic child sex offenders and human traffickers - but it is the public who will pay the price.'

The scheme was devised by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in her previous role as Justice Secretary.

Most prisoners currently due to serve 40 or 50 per cent of sentences handed down by the courts will be freed after serving 33 per cent.

As the scheme is rolled out in the coming months, criminals convicted of certain violent or sexual offences who were previously eligible for release two-thirds of the way through their sentence will instead be let out at the halfway stage.

The Ministry of Justice was contacted for comment.