Sean Fewster, Court Reporter
A COUPLE tied up, robbed and bashed with a hammer in a seven-hour home invasion want $100,000 compensation.
Grant and Jill Hall, who were attacked by John Leonard Knott, have applied for the maximum amount available under Criminal Injuries Compensation legislation.
They say they “have suffered, and will continue to suffer” physical and mental injuries, as well as loss of income, because of Knott’s assault.
Their case, which stalled in 2003, can go ahead now the 58-year-old has begun his sentence.
In October, 1998, Knott broke into the Halls’ Mount Osmond home wearing a mask. Over seven hours, he tied them up, robbed them and bashed them with a hammer.
District Court Judge Marie Shaw last week jailed Knott for a minimum 27 months, saying she was “entitled to be merciful” because of his efforts at rehabilitation. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is examining the sentence to determine if it should appeal on the grounds it was “manifestly inadequate”.
When the Halls filed for criminal injuries compensation – on August 17, 2001 – the identity of their attacker was unknown. Knott was not arrested until 2002, when he was linked to the attack by a DNA sample.
The husband and wife are seeking $50,000 each. “As a result of the injuries, (we) have been unable to engage in normal employment and are unlikely in the future to be able to engage in normal employment,” they say.
If Knott does not file a defence against the claim, it will be heard by a judge in chambers and brought to a settlement.
Article source: www.adelaidenow.com.au