Killer driver in Australia gets 120K dlrs compensation for injuries in jail

Melbourne, Dec 28 (ANI): A man in Australia, who has been jailed for killing a woman passenger while driving drunk, has received 120,000 dollars in compensation after a garden shed door closed on him in jail.

According to the Herald Sun, Alan Philip Brown, 44, was dubbed as Victoria's worst driver after he killed passenger Margaret Loveday in 2001, the second time he had killed while driving drunk.

Another woman, Carol Jancic, was injured in the smash, and forced to spend months in intensive care and then rehabilitation.

The serial offender has now sued for negligence claiming that he injured his shoulder and suffered psychological damaged when a garden shed roller door closed on him in Loddon Prison in April 2007.

The County Court has since ordered Brown be paid 120,000 dollars in compensation after he successfully sued the State of Victoria for negligence.

The payout, which is believed to be one of the largest settlements for injury made to a prisoner, has been put down by People Against Lenient Sentencing spokesman Steve Medcraft, who called it a disgrace.

"I'm staggered. There's people out there with legitimate claims who are victims of crime who get knocked back," News.com.au quoted Medcraft as saying.

"Here's a bloke who's had multiple chances, who gets to spend his time pursuing the state.

"There's something not right when a bloke like this can get compensation, but victims of crime get the short end of the stick," he stated.

Brown has had more than 100 convictions, including being caught with blood alcohol readings of .110, .165, .2, .193, .130 and .1.

Brown, who has never held a licence and who was described in court as a loner who had fathered eight children by four different women, killed his cousin in 1989 while driving at almost four times the legal limit.

For that offence, he was sentenced to a minimum of two years and three months, despite a shocking criminal and driving record.

Brown was finally jailed for 14 years, with a minimum of 10 years, in 2002 for the death of Loveday, the heaviest sentence ever handed down for driving offences in Victoria. He had a blood-alcohol reading of .171 at the time. (ANI)