An Apollo Bay man will be paid $850,000 because a thug decked him with a coward’s punch outside his local pub, damaging his brain. Stephen Morrow, 70, took action in the Supreme Court against his attacker Leonard Betrayhani, the venue — the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse — and its landlord. Under a settlement endorsed by the court, the Brewhouse will pay Mr Morrow $850,000 and cover his legal costs. Mr Betrayhani was not ordered to pay his victim. He remains in jail because of the serious injuries he caused Mr Morrow, and it’s understood he would’ve been incapable of paying the man. Mr Morrow’s life hung in the balance for a number of days after the brutal attack on August 6, 2016. The attacker was 30 years younger than his 66-year-old victim, who cracked his skull on the footpath when he fell. In his claim to the Supreme Court Mr Morrow said Betrayhani’s attack caused him traumatic brain injuries and fractured his skull, slowing his speech and thoughts, affecting his sense of smell and changing his behaviour. The man blamed Betrayhani for those injuries, but also sued the venue and its landlord for negligence and breach of duty.
