Leeds nightclub attack: Thousands raised for man blinded with glass

Matthew Syron now lives in Australia with his fiancée and his two children

More than £20,000 has been raised for a Leeds man left blinded after he was hit by a glass in a nightclub.

Matthew Syron, who is originally from Kirkstall but now lives in Australia, said he lost his vision instantly in the incident at Revolucion de Cuba in the city centre, which happened at about 00:30 GMT on 27 December.

The self-employed electrician remains in hospital and unable to see.

"It's good to see how people come together," said the father-of-two.

Well-wishers had raised the equivalent of almost £25,000 as of Monday to support Mr Syron in his recovery.

He will have surgery on his right eye on Tuesday to try and save his vision. Doctors have said he could be permanently blinded in his left eye.

"Hopefully I'll get some sort of vision back next week," said Mr Syron, who moved to Australia in 2012 to play rugby league after stints with Leeds Rhinos and Oldham RLFC.

"That gives me a chance to get home to my kids."

Mr Syron lives in Wollongong, New South Wales, with his fiancée Keone and their two children Brixon, two, and Meka, one. He had been home for Christmas visiting family and friends.

Mr Syron may never see again

There were "no guarantees" he would see again, he said.

"They [doctors] don't want to give me false hope," Mr Syron added.

"They are trying to keep me positive."

He had been out with family and friends on the night he was injured.

'Worst possible thing'

Mr Syron said he had "come to terms" with his sight loss but added: "It has been dreadful, not just for me but for my family.

"It's the worst possible thing that can happen to someone.

"This has brought me to my knees, it's really put me in a bad place. It's soul-destroying."

On the support he had received since, he said: "It's amazing. I'm lucky I know great people."

Mr Syron said his family had "not left my side" since the incident, describing their support as "unbelievable".

He added: "They have helped me pick the pieces back up and put them back together slowly.

"That's the aim of this, just to try and get back to a normal life."

Gareth Dean, 37, of Elm Tree Close, Leeds, has been charged with GBH with intent in relation to the incident.

He is due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 1 February.