News Service from House Harris

Vic: Cop jailed in off-duty bashing awarded $50,000

MELBOURNE, Dec 10 AAP - Three men who bashed an off-duty policeman in an attack described as "gutless" by a judge have been ordered to pay him $50,000 in compensation.

Senior Constable Simon Busuttil was punched, kicked and had his head stomped on after a car accident at Coolaroo in Melbourne in July 2005.

He was set upon by the trio when he got out of his car to exchange details with the other driver.

Snr Const Busuttil suffered a broken nose, extensive facial injuries, a torn liver and a fractured finger in the attack.

Three men, Vural Vuralhan, Ersoy Vural and Kemal Ciloglou, were jailed in August last year over the incident.

In awarding him compensation, Victorian County Court Judge John Smallwood said on Wednesday Snr Const Busuttil had suffered a savage beating which caused him to develop post traumatic stress disorder.

A medical examination found he had 18 separate injuries of bruising or abrasions and he required surgery.

Judge Smallwood said Snr Const Busuttil suffered muscular pain and ongoing psychological problems, including depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, feelings of shame and outbursts of anger following the attack.

The court heard that before the attack, Snr Const Busuttil suffered mild anxiety that was being treated with anti-depressants.

After the attack he'd had suicidal thoughts.

In sentencing the three men in August last year, Judge Smallwood described the attack as gutless.

"In the middle of the night these three men overpowered another man and over a prolonged period beat him with fists and boots while he is defenceless," he said at the time.

"The conduct can only be described as gutless."

Vuralhan, of Meadow Heights, was jailed for 18 months with a minimum of nine after pleading guilty to one count of intentionally causing serious injury.

Vural, of Coolaroo, was jailed for 12 months with a minimum of six after pleading guilty to one count of recklessly causing serious injury.

Ciloglou, of Meadow Heights, pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury and was jailed for three months. He also received a two-year community based order, which included 100 hours of unpaid community work.

The men were given two months to pay the compensation.