A month after he was found lying in the road with serious head injuries 24-year-old David Docking remains in hospital barely conscious.

Police now believe that Mr Docking was the victim of a serious assault and have repeated their appeal for anyone who saw him out on Christmas Eve to come forward.

His injuries occurred after he went to the aid of a distraught stranger while he was out with his girlfriend.

Police officers driving through the town just after 2.15am on Christmas Day found Mr Docking, the father of a two and a half year old girl, lying in the road between Little Vauxhall and the roundabout outside Tesco in Tolgus Hill.

He was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske in Truro and placed in intensive care in a critical state.

His condition has since stabilised but a police spokesman said he remained in a "serious" state at the hospital.

DS Tess Adams from Camborne CID told the Packet that it was believed Mr Docking had gone to the aid of a woman crying on the side of the road, who said she had just been assaulted by a group of men.

Mr Docking is understood to have chased after the group, but was then assaulted himself.

His girlfriend did not see this happen as she had gone to telephone for the police.

This week police repeated their appeal for witnesses who may have seen an argument involving a group of men, or who may have been with the victim at around 2.10am that day.

Mr Docking had partied at the nearby Twilight Zone night club earlier that evening.

DS Adams said the distressed woman thought she had seen Mr Docking accompanied by another man and although this was not the case, officers were looking for a man who may have coincidentally left the club at the same time.

Officers are seeking information about a vehicle that was seen in the area of the Tesco roundabout at the same time, driving at an excessive speed.

Anyone who can help has been urged to contact police on 08452 777444, quoting crime reference number AC/08/5613.

  • Following investigations, three men from Redruth have been arrested in connection with the incident.

One man, 21-year-old Radoslaw Mlynarski, has been charged with grievous bodily harm and appeared before Truro magistrates last Thursday, where he was remanded in custody.

The other two suspects, aged 22 and 21 years, have been released on police bail to return to Camborne police station on April 21 2009.