Susan Couch payout of $300,000

[JimO]

hopefully thats just the deposit?? should be 3 mill

[pete376403]

Gummint will take half back in tax

[saltydog]

did she settle out of court?

[avgas]

There is nothing we can pay her that will make he sleep well at night. Except his head on a stake.

[MyGSXF:Me]

There is nothing we can pay her that will make he sleep well at night. Except his head on a stake.

x 2

Only took 11 years... Ferkin disgraceful IMO!!!!

Should string the bastard up by the nuts & let him die a slooooow & agonizing death! & even that would be too good for him!

All the best Susan & family!!

[SS90]

Be warned those who rub their hands together, this is going to open the flood gates on future "settlements".
Its not the governments money, but ours, and we simply do not have enough to be paying people out for the crimes of people that have been failed by a system that we, ourselves are responsible for.

That money is better spent on the community, ACC should be paying for her recovery, Not the Justice department giving cash settlements to victims of crime. Life is a bitch, and sometimes you get the shitty end of the stick.

How much does the Lawyer get?
Bring out the Ambulance chasers!

[Brian d marge]

That's the next court case , because acc didn't help her ( as heard on national this morning)
As for sending , an. Violent alkie to work in a pub , with a history of similar,
Remember 300k is not very much now and it was up to 500k,
Minus fees?
Poor form national
Poor form

Stephen

[nzspokes]

Not the Justice department giving cash settlements to victims of crime. Life is a bitch, and sometimes you get the shitty end of the stick.

How much does the Lawyer get?

Justice department was a part of the cause champ. Was cheaper for them to give 300k than it hit court and the evidence go public.

My understanding is that the legal team are doing it for free.

[Maha]

Divided by the 11 years since the incident happened, it does not amount to much.
Auther Allen Thomas got $1,000,000 for some he didn't do.

[JimO]

Be warned those who rub their hands together, this is going to open the flood gates on future "settlements".
Its not the governments money, but ours, and we simply do not have enough to be paying people out for the crimes of people that have been failed by a system that we, ourselves are responsible for.

That money is better spent on the community, ACC should be paying for her recovery, Not the Justice department giving cash settlements to victims of crime. Life is a bitch, and sometimes you get the shitty end of the stick.

How much does the Lawyer get?
Bring out the Ambulance chasers!

i believe the lawyer is helping her for free, i would rather my tax money went to her than the thousands of users who milk the system, the corrections chief said it would have cost 600k to defend the case if it went to court so why not pay out the 600

[Genestho]

Be warned those who rub their hands together, this is going to open the flood gates on future "settlements".
Its not the governments money, but ours, and we simply do not have enough to be paying people out for the crimes of people that have been failed by a system that we, ourselves are responsible for.

That money is better spent on the community, ACC should be paying for her recovery, Not the Justice department giving cash settlements to victims of crime. Life is a bitch, and sometimes you get the shitty end of the stick.

How much does the Lawyer get?
Bring out the Ambulance chasers!

Awesome aye.

Corrections conducted an internal inquiry and came up with failures regarding his release conditions. The legal team have been working for free.

Life's a bitch, then a precedent's set.

This is not compensation anyway, this is Corrections "seeing the family right."

[Maha]

i believe the lawyer is helping her for free, i would rather my tax money went to her than the thousands of users who milk the system, the corrections chief said it would have cost 600k to defend the case if it went to court so why not pay out the 600

Someone is paying him, and that would be the taxpayer.

[SS90]

Divided by the 11 years since the incident happened, it does not amount to much.
Auther Allen Thomas got $1,000,000 for some he didn't do.

Aurther Allen Thomas was wrongly convicted of a crime (by planted evidence), he was COMPENSATED for the time he spent locked up.

That, I am happy with (even better would be the 1M paid from the seized assets of the Police officers and detectives that planted the evidence, you know, like restorative justice.

But it has nothing in common with this case, which I feel sets a bet precedence.

Better is forcing the criminal to work in Prison and proceeds going to her, this I am 100% comfortable with.

Expecting the state to pay out?

Bad move guys, time are tough, and the harder we push the Gvt bank balance, the harder we make it for ourselves.

[Genestho]

Official Press Release via Sensible Sentencing on Behalf of Susan Couch.

"Susan Couch has accepted the payment of $300,000 from the Corrections Department to settle her claim for exemplary damages. That works out to be $27,272 for every year since the attack.

Ms Couch’s Barrister Brian Henry stresses that this is not compensation, but as the Chief Executive Officer of Corrections, Ray Smith has said, the department is “doing right by Sue and her family”.

“Compensation is only available in New Zealand via the ACC legislation...Sue is a social welfare beneficiary as ACC legislation does not provide her with adequate support” said Brian Henry.

ACC is not injury based compensation; it is salary based compensation.

Susan will continue the fight for compensation, which now moves to a campaign to change the ACC legislation so that victims, especially women, receive a fair outcome.

ACC was passed into law by the National Party; it has since been tinkered with by both National and Labour governments. It remains an unjust, overburdened administration that has totally failed Susan Couch; obviously the most eligible victim for compensation.

Susan Couch’s claim to be properly compensated continues so long as she is paid by social welfare instead of ACC; how she is being treated is grossly unfair.

In negligence terms, compensation would be between $5 and $10 million; enough to provide Susan with a debt free home and an income adequate to allow her and her family survive comfortably with her disabilities.

This litigation has not and could not achieve this, as the ACC legislation prohibits such a claim. We stress the claim for proper compensation is moving to a new phase.

This payment helps, but it is not compensation.

Had the case not been settled then the appeal for a jury would have been argued today. If the appeal was unsuccessful, Susan would have sought leave to go to the Supreme Court. The trial was set for 8 weeks commencing 8th July 2013.

The events occurred on the 8th December 2001 – 11 years this Saturday.

Media are reminded that the name of the Probation Officer is suppressed by a High Court order, which under the terms of the settlement will be made permanent.

Susan Couch:

“I want to thank all my supporters over the past 11 years, especially Garth Mc Vicar and Sensible Sentencing Trust for the huge support I have received from them over those years”.

“I also especially wish thank Winston Peters for the donation that established the Susan Couch Victims Trust, which helps all victims of violent crime”.





Background - a summary of the history of these proceedings is as follows:

a) 28 July 2005 - Proceedings filed in the High Court.

b) 8 September 2005 – proceedings transferred to Court of Appeal by consent, to be heard with the Attorney General’s application to strike out Hobson v The Attorney General CA74/05.

c) 10 November 2005 - Hearing in Court of Appeal for Attorney General’s strike out application.

d) 17 May 2006 – Court of Appeal Judgment given.

e) 1 September 2006 - Supreme Court Judgment (granting leave to appeal).

f) 17 April 2007 – Hearing in Supreme Court.

g) 13 June 2008 – Supreme Court Judgment Given.

h) 23 March 2009 – Supreme Court Hearing.

i) 24 March 2010 – Supreme Court Judgment given, declining Attorney General’s strike out application.

j) 17 June 2010 – Second Amended Statement of Claim filed.

k) June 2010 Discovery commenced by defendant.

l) 24 February 2012 – Third Amended Statement of Claim filed.

m) 28 March 2012 – High Court Hearing (regarding Judge Alone trial).

n) 28 August 2012 – High Court Judgment (regarding Judge alone trial).

o) 5 September 2012 – High Court Judgment (regarding defendant’s application for further particulars).

p) 24 September 2012 – Fourth Amended Statement of Claim filed.

q) 24 September 2012 - Notice of Appeal filed (on decision of Judge alone trial).

[Winston001]

Someone is paying him, and that would be the taxpayer.

That's an unfortunate and cynical attitude - are you sure you mean it? The guy has worked for this lady for years. Do you also disrespect volunteer sports coaches, charity street collectors, foster parents etc because they have day jobs (teacher, nurse, police etc) being paid by the taxpayer?