Brave Anne Marie Boyle decided to speak out against gender based violence.
Anne Marie was left with a broken eye socket and cheek bone as a result of the savage attack. (Image: Supplied)
A Scots mum who lost her business and her driving licence after being knocked unconscious by an MMA fighter has said she is “lucky to be alive”. Anne Marie Boyle was left with a broken eye socket, cheekbone and a brain injury following the incident on a night out in September 2024.
The 38-year-old was at a psychic event with her cousin in her local East Kilbride pub when the quiet night turned into a life-changing ordeal. Sean McInnes approached the mum but lashed out when she rejected his advances.
McInnes, 35, who competed in the Lion Fight 68 event, the first major Muay Thai competition in Scotand after Covid was sentenced to 21 months in jail at Hamilton Sheriff Court last month after admitting to the attack. Anne Marie turned up at court to watch the sentencing while working to rebuild her life.
Mixed Martial Arts fighter Sean McInnes was caged for 21 months. (Image: Collect)
She told the Record: “I was only meant to be out for a couple of hours and wasn’t really drinking because I had to be up early the next morning to take my daughter to football. We went through to the bar for a drink before we went home and McInnes came over to our table and tried to start talking to me.
“I was firm and told him I had a partner but when we left the pub to walk the short distance home we encountered him again. He was trying to chat to me but when I asked him to leave me alone for the second time he suddenly became aggressive and seemed really sinister.
“The atmosphere suddenly changed and my cousin tried to step in between us but he threw her out of the way and punched me on the face. I fell back and cut my head from the impact and think this is what knocked me out.
“I don’t remember much else until a police man was standing over me but my cousin said I was drifting in and out of consciousness and screaming in pain.”
Anne Marie was on a night out with her cousin when she was attacked. (Image: Supplied)
Anne Marie was rushed to Hairmyres Hospital and released the following day. However, a few days later she suffered her a seizure and was left in hospital for three weeks.
At a follow up appointment with a neurologist she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which causes the brain to stop sending signals to the body. Anne Marie has suffered from involuntary tremors and chronic pain over the past 18 months.
The brave mum-of-two lost the beauty therapy business she had built up over 12 years due to the debilitating condition. And has also had to stop driving due to the seizures.
But fiercely independent Anne Marie has been working hard to rebuild her life and watched in court as McInnes was sentenced. She admitted her disgust at the jail term of the “trained fighter” who knew “precisely where to hit me to cause maximum damage”.
Anne Marie has a strong support network. (Image: Supplied)
She said: “He will be out soon and will be able drive his children to school and get back to work but he has taken these exact things away from me. I am a strong woman and a survivor so I will get over my injuries one day but I don’t know if I will ever accept him being given such a short sentence.
“McInnes is a trained fighter and knew precisely where to hit me to cause maximum damage. I fell into a bush before hitting the ground when he hit me but if I had gone straight down and hit the concrete it could have been much worse. I am lucky to be alive.
The brave mum-of-two hopes to raise awareness around gender based violence. (Image: Supplied)
“He won’t beat me, though. I have a very large support network from friends and family around me so this has all just given me a new perspective and helped me realise how precious life can be.
“I’ve got so much planned for the year coming and the future with my kids but for the moment I just want to raise awareness about gender based violence. If hearing how a single punch has changed my life will stop one man from lifting his hands or even motivate a woman in an abusive relationship to seek help then I will be happy.”
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