As a group of young men passed by, one of them, without warning, took a swing and made contact.

Now that the swelling has subsided, we feel fortunate that there does not appear to be any permanent disfigurement or dental damage, though injury to the actual jaw and ligaments is still to be determined.

We also feel very fortunate that he did not contact his head with the pavement.

I acknowledge that due to the hit and run nature of this attack the potential to identify and prosecute this perpetrator is limited.

So I take this opportunity to write this open letter to this man and his friends.

To his friends, my son was violently attacked and injured and though you may say that you did not throw a punch, you were involved. You did not stop to help, though the injury and blood was obvious, but fled, condoning this cowardly attack.

Real men don't run away. They stand up and tell it as it is. Grow some testicles and file a police report before your friend does it again. People's lives are ruined or they die due to the stupidity of such acts.

And to the young man himself, you are a cowardly weasel.

You may smirk and laugh about what happened, but I am convinced that what goes around, comes around.

During the Easter and Anzac Day period, we uphold and reflect upon ultimate sacrifice, humility and humanity.

We should not have to avoid walking the streets of Bathurst at night due to cowardly thugs who live among us.