A MOTHER’S fight for justice took a major step forward on Wednesday when the inquest into her son’s death reopened following a High Court appeal.

Kristian Thompson died ten months after he was assaulted by Mark Berry during a night out at a County Durham club.

The 18-year-old suffered a single blow during the attack at the K2 nightclub, in Consett, in September 2010, which caused him to fall, hit his head and go into a coma from which he never fully recovered.

Berry, of Leadgate, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

He was freed two months before Mr Thompson, of Burnopfield, died in a treatment centre in Northampton, in July 2011, aged 19.

An open conclusion was recorded at the first inquest, in November 2012, which was challenged by Mr Thompson’s family and last week High Court judges ordered a fresh inquest.

Senior coroner for County Durham and Darlington Andrew Tweddle, sitting at Crook Civic Centre, said: “Today I open an inquest into the death of Kristian Thompson.

“This case has had an inquest already but an application was made by the family to have the original inquest quashed, last week that decision was made by the High Court.”

Mr Tweddle said he expected to hear from the family’s solicitors in around three weeks during which time he will continue to read the case file.

A review date was set for July 13 for him to ensure progress is being made.

After the brief hearing, Kristian's mother Maxine Thompson said: “It feels like a big step forward.

“It has been a huge journey, when I was here more than two years ago I didn’t know how I would get here, it's been a lot of hard work.

“Now I feel people are listening and we’ve got a chance.

“I just want the right people asking questions, I just want recognition that Kristian was killed by that one punch, we don’t want anything else but justice.

“After he was hit it was pure hell, he definitely didn’t deserve an open verdict.”

Since his death, Mr Thompson’s family has been active in campaigning against alcohol-fuelled violence, including supporting Durham Police’s Punched Out Cold campaign, and will next month launch their own initiative to prevent ‘one punch’ deaths, titled One Punch North East.

The Northern Echo has been pushing for tougher sentences for people who take lives with a single act of violence since 2010, under its Price of a Punch campaign.