THE girlfriend of a boxer who died in a motorcycle crash is struggling to walk again after suffering horrific injuries. Danielle Knappett, 22, has spoken for the first time about the night her life was torn apart. Doctors at Addenbrooke s Hospital, Cambri

THE girlfriend of a boxer who died in a motorcycle crash is struggling to walk again after suffering horrific injuries.

Danielle Knappett, 22, has spoken for the first time about the night her life was torn apart.

Doctors at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, battled to save her after she sustained multiple injuries. She was in a coma for two weeks.

Danielle, of Wenny Estate, Chatteris, had just started work as a volunteer at Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester.

She was riding pillion on a Kawasaki bike, heading home after work with her 43-year-old boyfriend, Ray Linnett, when tragedy struck.

They were in collision with a BMW on the A141 in Oldhurst on July 17.

Ray, a former head coach at Cambridge Amateur Boxing Club, died instantly. He leaves a seven-year-old son, Ashley, who lives with his former wife Linda.

Danielle said: "Ray picked me up after work but I really don't know what happened that night after that, just what I've been told."

Danielle broke her arm, legs, pelvis, collar bone, two ribs, suffered facial fractures and damaged her liver and kidneys.

"They started to wake me up on August 3 but when I was in the coma I heard them tell me Ray was dead. When I woke up I was devastated. I am still trying to come to terms with it. I can't really take it in that he's gone."

Danielle left hospital last Monday but will need years of therapy.

"I think it was touch and go for me when I got here but I can't think about that now. I can now walk on crutches but there's a lot of damage to my knee and I will never be able to walk unaided," she said

Her mum, Margaret Harrison, said: "The doctors said she would never walk again but she is proving them wrong.

"She is doing really well but has a lot of therapy to go through, physical and psychological."

On Monday, Mrs Harrison handed a cheque for £470 to the neurological critical care unit at the hospital, which had been raised at Ray's funeral.

Danielle said: "The nurses and doctors here have been fantastic. I would never have made it without their help."

Boxing clubs from around the region paid tribute to Mr Linnett after his death.