Shire settle bash claim

Jane Emerick
A MAN who alleged a by-laws officer assaulted him on Jan Juc Beach has reached an out-of-court settlement with Surf Coast Shire.
The man’s lawyer, Phil Hill, of Slater and Gordon, said his 49-year-old client was left battered and bruised after the attack during Easter, 2004.
Mr Hill said his client settled with Surf Coast for an undisclosed amount last month.
Mr Hill told the Independent in March that his client alleged a by-laws officer on a quad bike attacked him after the man saw the officer fining a family for walking an unleashed a dog on the beach.
“He noticed the uniformed officer was talking to the people in a fairly heavy-handed way, so he commented to the officer that he would rather see someone’s dog on the beach than a motorbike,” Mr Hill said.
“(The council officer) apparently said to him ‘You’re under arrest’ and our guy walked off and was followed by the officer who subsequently assaulted him and pinned him up against the fence.”
Mr Hill said the alleged attack caused a deterioration of injuries the victim had suffered in a serious car accident.
“The incident caused trauma, severe bruising and soft tissue injuries and interfered with my client’s recuperation,” Mr Hill alleged. His client had sought damages to compensate for pain and suffering from the attack.
Mr Hill said his client was pleased to have put the legal ordeal behind him.
“These things are always better if the parties can reach an agreement before the stress of a court battle,” he said.
A shire spokesman confirmed the settlement. The spokesman said the officer had subsequently terminated his employment with the shire.