A BMX rider given just a 30 per cent chance of survival after a thug left him brain damaged has returned from a glorious honeymoon, a year before his wedding.

Having a honeymoon before tying the knot may sound unusual, but for Jamie McKechnie it shows how far he has come since an unprovoked street attack near Shortlands station left him on the brink of death.

Doctors gave the 26-year-old little hope after a single punch to the head in August 2011 left him critically injured, but he and fiancée Ellen Murphy have not let his injury get in the way of their lives.

Jamie's dream of walking unaided down the aisle on his wedding day is still very much on, but the pair have put the date back until next summer when he will be further along in his recovery.

However, this delay did not stop the pair enjoying their pre-booked honeymoon in Paris after moving into their own place in Lewisham.

Jamie, who spoke to News Shopper with the help of his fiancée, said: "I've been through the worst so now I just have to stay positive and stay strong.

"Having our own place is like heaven.

"It's so nice being independent again and feeling like I'm getting some of my old life back, even though I've had to adjust to all of the changes in my life.

"I'm so lucky to have El with me to help me through this traumatic time in my life."

Ellen, 27, said: "We had the tickets booked and we thought we might as well go.

"We stayed in an apartment on the Champs Élysées and I dragged him round all the different parts.

"It was so nice to get away."

"We have our independence back and we feel like a normal adult couple.

"Jamie goes to a Headway social rehabilitation course and it is good to realise other people have gone through this.

"Maybe in the next six months he will look at doing a bike maintenance course as he wants to get back to some kind of employment.

"He surprises us all the time with his recovery and there’s no limit to how far he will go.

"It’s about having a positive mental attitude."

Jamie, who can now walk with a stick or walking frame, added: "I don't want the world to judge me because I'm a young bloke with a walking frame.

"I don't ever want to let my disabilities stop me from doing anything in life or let the brain injury get the better of me."

Jamie's attacker Andrew Ellis, of Martins Road, Shortlands, is due to be released this summer after serving 14 months of a three year sentence for GBH.

Ellen said: "Just over a year in prison for something which has totally altered Jamie’s life, it just does not seem right.

"We have a future now and we are rebuilding our lives, at least we still have each other."