THE family of a 24-year-old man who was attacked at Reading Station last year has spoken out about their heartbreak.

Thomas Parker was sadly pronounced dead at 12.40am on July 31, 2022 after a Slough man hit him over the back of the head with a metallic horseshoe.

Kirkpatrick Virgo, 42, of Whitby Road, was sentenced to 21 years and 123 days in prison today (March 31) at Reading Crown Court.

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Prosecutor Tahir Khan read out a statement written by Mr Parker’s father, Steven.

It read: “The impact on our family is immeasurable. Tom’s death and the tragic circumstances that lead to and the memory of that has impacted our lives. Tom Parker, 24 years of age, our son, a brother, grandson, friend, neighbour, and colleague.

“Tom had a bubbly personality and always had a smile on his face. He was very popular and had lots of friends. Tom did not have a bad bone in his body. I would describe him as a lover not a fighter. On the 30th July, 2022, Tom and his brother and their friends were on their way home having enjoyed a day out watching football in London.

“That on that evening, Nicola and I received a phone call from our son Craig, every parents nightmare was about to unfold in front of us.

“Craig told us we need to get to the station, Tom’s been attacked. We arrived at the station which was swarming with police. We were approaching [platform 8] hoping we could take Tom home with us or at the very least accompany him to the hospital for treatment.

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“We couldn’t be more wrong. We were met with the site of Tom laying on his back, motionless. A doctor took us to the side and quietly told us Tom was gone.

“At the moment everything went black, our whole lives crashing down upon us. The pain and anger of that moment was indescribable. How can one put into words what we were feeling?

“Our emotions were everywhere. We wanted to hug Tom, to touch him, to gently shake him, to tell him to wake up. We were unable to do that, to comfort our son because of the ongoing police investigation evolving in front of our eyes.

“We were looking at a crime scene. Over the following days, we sat at home the days were a blur, a bubble of action was going on around us but we did not have the energy or will to get involved. Not knowing which direction to turn, who to listen to, what was being said, not because we didn’t want to but because we were physically unable to.

“We were heartbroken, destroyed inside. There was so many people, Tom’s friends, our neighbours, family members, in our house trying to comfort us. But the support shown to our family will never be forgotten.

“Tom was a golf greenskeeper and he had just been promoted to deputy greenskeeper. I was close to Tom, I was his father but I was more like a brother. He was very close to his brother Craig, they were best friends.

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“When they were younger I would bring Tom and Craig to work with me which is where Tom developer his interest in gold. Craig has not only lost his brother but also his closest friend. Tom was respected by those he worked with, he loved his job and those he worked with, he had his whole future ahead of him.

“Tom lived at home with us and being at home everyday and not seeing Tom in the house with us is a pain and hurt we bear everyday of our lives.

“We have not had the will to change Tom’s bedroom, it remains exactly the day as the day he passed. We no longer use Reading Station as a travelling option but now we prefer the bus or driving. I have no wish to go to Reading Station, the memories are too traumatic.

“I fear whenever a family member leaves the house. We spent months receiving counselling, getting over the pain and grief, but one little memory or experience brings any chance of healing to a halt.

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“We bear no physical scars but the emotional and physical scars will remain with us forever. Only those who have experience a loss of a loved one in circumstances like this will understand. There’s not moving on for us.

“There’s no forgetting. The pain will not go away, we just have to learn to live with and somehow find some hope and light in a world that has brought us so much darkness.”