Like many of us I have taken a bit of an interest in the trial of Oscar Pistorius in South Africa for the tragic death of his girlfriend. We as disabled people cannot possibly know whether he genuinely thought he was under attack from intruders or whether he deliberately murdered his girlfriend.

But what we do know as disabled people, is that it is very frightening to feel that you can neither fight nor run away when being harassed by another individual. All animals will instinctively choose between the fight or flight reflex when under attack. In another words to hold ground and fight or just choose flight and run away if possible.

Although Pistorius is a very fast runner, it does take a little time to put his blades on (prosthetic legs) and it’s not something you can do quickly and in an emergency in the middle of the night. All I can think is that if this was the situation it must have been frightening for him. I don’t know one way or the other what really happened.

But what I do know is that I recently felt that I was helpless in the face of harassment from a drunken youth in Witney. He put his arms around me and tugged me this way and that, slurring his words and shouting at me. Peter, my guide dog was off his harness because I had been throwing the ball for him and I had put his harness down on the path for a moment. This drunken youth began kicking it along the road and I have to admit I was very close to lashing out at him.

If I were a celebrity living in a city with a very high level of gun crime and break-ins, I may well feel vulnerable enough to feel I have to sleep with a gun under my pillow to protect me and my family.

I would very much like people in our society to become understanding enough of how disabled people feel and how vulnerable they are.

And finally, a quick update on my fundraising challenge. My attempt to walk five miles to raise funds for the Stroke Association was last Tuesday, May 27.

The walk began outside the town hall in Oxford. There were about 20 participants many of whom had suffered strokes like myself. I was accompanied by Peter who was able to walk off the harness around the Christ Church grounds which he absolutely loved.

One lap of the college riverside meadows was calculated to be two miles. I walked two laps plus an extra bit to make it up to five miles. It took me over three hours in total and afterwards I felt absolutely delighted to have more than doubled my previous post-stroke maximum walk of two miles.

Once I got home I felt physically sick. Since my brain injury, such physical exertion makes me unable to function – a little bit like being really drunk. I slept for three hours and then another eight hours that night. Although my limbs still feel very strange and unresponsive to instructions, I do feel a little better now.

Fundraising is still ongoing and you can still sponsor me by using the following link www.justgiving.com/Gavin-Hageman