AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2006
Qld: Man jailed over Palm revenge bashing
By Dave Donaghy
TOWNSVILLE, Qld, Dec 8 AAP - A man has been jailed for a revenge attack on the police
liaison officer who was in the Palm Island island watchhouse when Aborigine Mulrunji Doomadgee
was killed two years ago.
Albert James Wotton, 22, was today sentenced in the Townsville District Court to two
years jail after he pleaded guilty to assaulting off-duty police liaison officer Lloyd
Bengaroo in April last year.
He will be eligible for parole after eight months.
The assault at Happy Valley, near Townsville, occurred five months after Mulrunji's
death in custody that sparked violent riots on the island.
Mr Bengaroo was in the island's watchhouse with Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley when Mulrunji
died from serious injuries after being arrested for being a public nuisance.
In September this year, acting state coroner Christine Clements found Snr Sgt Hurley
delivered the fatal blows that killed Mulrunji.
Snr Sgt Hurley has been stood down with full pay while the Director of Public Prosecutions
(DPP) decides if he will be charged.
On April 22, 2005, Mr Bengaroo had been drinking with friends in a Townsville pub when
they decided to continue on with another group at Happy Valley, the court was told by
prosecutors.
He was approached by another man, Gerard Nuggins, who started to abuse him, claiming
he was responsible for Mulrunji's death, before kicking and punching him.
The court was told while Mr Bengaroo was on his knees, Wotton joined in, kicking him
twice in the head.
Mr Bengaroo needed hospital attention for cuts to his face and knees.
AAP dd/sc/jt/de
KEYWORD: WOTTON
2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
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