COMPENSATION paid to the family of a disabled man who died less than two weeks after he was attacked has been donated to charity.

Half of the £1,000 paid out following the death of Scott Hall was given to the RSPCA because the 28-year-old was an animal lover.

The remaining £500 is being donated to help with research into head injuries, because he died of a brain haemorrhage.

His mother, Carol Hall, 56, of Framwellgate Moor, near Durham City, handed over the money to the RSCPA at a dog show in aid of the charity at Deerness Kennels in Langley Moor, yesterday (Sunday, July 5).

She said: “We went down to present it to them. We chose the RSCPA because Scott loved animals. We always had pets, dogs and parrots.

“The rest has gone to find out more about head injuries.

“We wanted to make sure some good came of the money.”

Earlier this year Newton Aycliffe magistrates heard Mr Hall was punched to the ground and kicked by two teenagers on July 24 last year.

Nine days after he was assaulted by the two 15-year-olds in Newton Hall, near Durham City, he suffered a bleed to the brain and died two days later.

An inquest found no evidence to link Mr Hall's brain haemorrhage to the assault and last month the Crown Prosecution Service said it was not appropriate to charge the youths, now aged 16, with unlawfully killing the 28-year-old.

The youths, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, initially denied a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm but pleaded guilty to the offence and were given 12 month community orders.