A 20-year-old Saanich man is in hospital after a Saturday night out went wrong this past weekend, in a fight over a cigarette.
One man is in custody after the brawl at the intersection of Douglas/Broughton streets around 10:30 p.m. Saturday sent Damon Doucette to hospital with serious injuries. He is now breathing on his own after being in an induced coma and on life support over the weekend.
Doucette’s mother, Jessica Shortt, said her family is hanging on and trying to remain positive while they stay by his side at Victoria General Hospital.
“I’m on zombie-robot-autopilot right now. Gotta keep it together for everybody else,” she said. “It doesn’t feel real. I’m in a crazy dream, like I’m watching it happen.”
Shortt said she was told Doucette was intoxicated when he took a cigarette out of another man’s mouth, and swung at him, but missed. The other man allegedly punched Doucette sending him to a hard landing on road. She said the hard landing gave her son instant brain trauma.
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Now that he is breathing on his own, his family hopes his recovery can start. As for Shortt, she hopes her son’s misfortune can serve as a warning for others.
“It’s all over a stupid cigarette,” she said. “Don’t be getting drunk and stupid and cause two peoples’ lives to be ruined in an instant.”
