ASSAULT WITH SPURS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5476, 18 September 1929, Page 2

ASSAULT WITH SPURS

PAEROA DOMAIN AFFAIR. £2OO DAMAGES AWARDED. As a sequel to the unprovoked attack on Mr J. Brenan by Ivan Sokolic tn the Paeroa Domain on November 26 last, criminal proceedings were taken against Sokolic, and he was adjudged to be insane and ordered to be confined in a mental hospital. Yesterday a claim for damages on Brenan’s behalf was made before Mr Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court at Auckland. Mr Finlay appeared for the plaintiff, who asked for £lO6B damages, made up of £54 for loss of salary, £l4 medical expenses, and £lOOO general damages. Mi’ Blomfield represented the Public Trustee, guardian ad litem for the defendant Sokolic. The claim set out that Sokolic assaulted Brenan until he became insensible. He suffered injuries to his chest and ribs, and his health was so impaired that he was incapacitated for a considerable time from following his occupation. Estate Valued at £4BO. Mr Finlay said that the defendant has been certified as insane. The only sum available for damages was £4BO, which was estimated to be the value of the defendant’s estate. Under the Mental Defectives Act the primary claim was that of the mental defectives’ department for Sokolic’s maintenance. Brenan could only cteim such equity as remained over. In giving judgment His Honour said :—

“There is no doubt that Mr Brenan has suffered a serious injury at the hands of this lunatic, and it is doubtful whether a man of his age will ever properly recover from the effects of this assault.” He ordered £2OO to be paid out of the estate for damages and costs of the action, the balance to remain in the hands of the Public Trustee to be applied to the defendant’s maintenance so long as he remained an inmate of a mental hospital.