A MAN has been awarded $90,000 in compensation after he was assaulted by another male wielding a milk-crate outside a Sunshine North supermarket.
The ruling came as Victoria Police revealed to Star that more than 40 assaults took place in or around shopping complexes in Brimbank last financial year.
Victoria Police figures obtained by Star reveal a total of 377 offences were recorded in or around ‘shopping complexes’ located in postcodes 3020, 3021, 3023 and 3038 in the 2011/12 financial year.
The County Court of Victoria recently awarded Tran Du Lam damages for pain and suffering after his skull was fractured during the incident.
The court heard Mr Lam was outside a Northumberland Rd grocery store when he was assaulted by another male, Asach Lieng, during 2008.
Mr Lieng’s solicitor said Mr Lam owed his client money for work completed for a clothing company in 2000.
The two men became engaged in a verbal dispute about the alleged debt as they entered the grocery store and were asked to leave by the shopkeeper.
Judge Kathryn Kings said after going outside to continue the conversation, Mr Lam insulted Mr Lieng’s deceased wife.
“The defendant was very angry because he believed his late wife had been insulted,” she said.
“The defendant approached the plaintiff, who pushed the defendant away.”
Judge Kings said although the men’s recollections of what happened next differed, evidence showed Mr Lieng went on to hit Mr Lam’s head with a plastic milk-crate.
The court heard Mr Lieng left the scene, but later returned so he could speak to police in attendance.
After Mr Lam was injured, he was taken by ambulance to the Sunshine Hospital and later transferred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The court heard since 2008, Mr Lam has gradually recovered from his injuries but has undergone two operations and in 2009 was referred to a psychiatrist.
Judge Kings said Mr Lam suffered from a poor memory, difficulty concentrating, poor sleep patterns and nightmares.
“He has difficulty calculating numbers. His speech is slower and his voice is less clear. He is weak and sometimes dizzy. He gets irritated and angry easily. He has lost confidence,” she said.
Mr Lam’s psychiatrist told the court his client has “a moderate degree of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with depressive symptoms”.
Judge Kins said, taking all these matters into account, she believed it was “appropriate to assess pain and suffering damages in the sum of $90,000” in favour of Mr Lam.
Victoria Police statistics for postcode 3020, which includes Sunshine Plaza and Sunshine Marketplace, had 120 offences recorded in or around shopping complexes in the area, including a total of 14 assaults and 35 theft-related (shop steal) offences. Four people were also charged with property damage and three for drug-related offences.
Figures for postcode 3038, which includes Centro Keilor Shopping Centre and Watergardens, show a total of 114 offences recorded, including 13 cases of assault which took place in or around shopping complexes.
Statistics for 3023, which includes Brimbank Central Shopping Centre and Caroline Springs Square, reveal 11 assaults were recorded in or near shopping complexes, with a total of 10 cases of property damage and a total of 116 offences.
A total of 27 offences were recorded at shopping complexes within postcode 3021, including three assaults and six cases of theft (shop steal).
Brimbank’s Acting Inspector Tim O’Connor said the number of assaults recorded at shopping complexes did not necessary relate to thefts or other incidents that occur at a shopping centre.
“In general terms, some of them may have been the result of their dealings with police or loss prevention officers at the time of their apprehension and it may be to do with unrelated matters,” he said.
He also said that the drug offences recorded in and around shopping complexes would most likely be related to drug trafficking.
Act Insp O’Connor said thefts and other crimes at shopping centres can occur at any time of day or any day of the week.
“Sometimes there are issues when there are school holidays, but no particular time or day and no particular age or demographic of people who commit offences,” he said.
Act Insp O’Connor added that the figures may not reflect the total number of offences in and around shopping centres because not every police officer will record the location as a ‘shopping complex’.
“Sometimes an officer may put down retail instead of a shopping complex,” he said.
Insp O’Connor said any resident that may witness a crime taking place at a shopping centre should try to get a description of the person, or identify their vehicle, and contact the manager of the shop where the item was stolen from.
Anyone who has seen anything suspicious is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
