It has been a tough six months for Ben Barker. Sitting in his living room, it is the first time he has watched back the videos of him and his best friend George Low enjoying themselves, just hours before George was murdered.

Ben sits there quietly, a smile flickering across his face as he remembers how carefree life seemed before tragedy struck.

Ben, 22, was stabbed multiple times in the back in an unprovoked attack in the resort of Ayia Napa on August 14, 2016, where George was killed after being wounded in the neck.

VIDEO: Ben talks about the night in Ayia Napa

Almost half a year on, Ben, of Rowan Crescent, Dartford, has set himself a challenge – to run two half marathons in two days.

Though he is fully recovered now, during his time in hospital there were concerns Ben’s nerve damage might mean he would never walk again.

“I had four stab wounds and the blade itself made an impact wound of five-and-a-half inches,” said the former Axton Chase (now Longfield Academy) pupil.

“For a while there was an investigation into nerve damage and they encouraged me not to try to get up. I was definitely concerned about general full recovery.

“But, to be honest with you, I lost my best friend so those kind of personal thoughts were buried at that time. I was just attempting to deal with the loss of my best mate.

“Fortunately, for me there were lots of good people around me at the time.”

Ben and George became best friends during their time at secondary school. The pair decided last year to book a holiday to Ayia Napa as George had previously worked there so knew the area well. The altercation happened on the last night of their trip.

Ben, a software consultant, said: “I saw a man coming through some people and try to hit George or try to attack him. I managed to get him by the back of the neck to restrain him and I was tussling with him a bit.

“That’s when I started getting stabbed in the back. I was stabbed four times and on the last one he left the knife in my back. I got rid of it and threw him to the ground. I wanted to deal with what was going on behind me.

"By the time I turned around the guy that was stabbing me had gone. I pulled the knife out of my back. I know they say not to do it but when there’s a strange or alien object you just want it out.

“Once I pulled it out I think that’s one of the last clear memories I’ve got because once I saw the knife everything went a bit crazy in my head space.

“I just heard some screams. A girl who knew George quite well shouted that George had been stabbed in the neck.

“I was probably one of the last of his friends to see him alive, that was when we were in the ambulance together. He was in and out of consciousness.

“That was the last chance I got to speak to him.”

Cypriot police issued warrants for 43-year-old Sali Musa Ahmet and 22-year-old Mehmet Akpinar on suspicion of murder, but they were instead arrested by Turkish officers for trespassing in a military zone in the north of the island on Friday, August 19.

Ahmet was sentenced to a year behind bars, having been found to have illegally crossed into the north 670 times since 2011, while Akpinar walked free after serving a three month sentence while in custody.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to raise the issue with Cyprus, but the ongoing division between the north and south of the island makes things extremely difficult.

In the meantime, Ben continues to try to rebuild his life.

He aims to raise £5,000 for Victim Support by running the half-marathons on Saturday, February 11, and Sunday, February 12, between Battersea Park and Westminster. The charity supports victims of crime or traumatic events.

He said: “Victim Support is a charity that reaches out to those who need them most in these types of circumstances. It is supported primarily by volunteers who have been through similar situations and can empathize.

“Whether or not you choose to use their support it is a comfort knowing it is there if you need it.

“Running is something I have always enjoyed doing. I have come to learn, however, that not only is it a great way to build and recover physical strength and endurance but also mental.”

To donate to Ben's Just Giving page, click here.