Police settle lawsuit with Gippsland man left with brain damage

Brodie Holt, a 27-year-old man from Gippsland, has reached a confidential settlement with Victoria Police after sustaining severe brain damage in a 2022 incident outside his local pub. The man now has no memory of what happened, and only recalls waking up in The Alfred hospital after being placed in an induced coma. His parents were forced to move him back home, as he is now completely reliant on them for care.

Holt's parents have accused the police of treating him like "meat," and his mother, Kellie Holt, has quit her job at a local supermarket to care for her son full-time. The settlement reportedly totals $13.7 million, covering medical treatment, loss of earnings, and ongoing care costs. According to court documents, Holt claims he was not guilty of any wrongdoing when he was arrested, and that he was shoved into a brick doorway and then tackled to the ground, causing his head to strike the concrete.

The police maintain that they arrested Holt because he was drunk and a potential danger, but conceded that he struck a brick doorway on the way out of the pub. They claimed that the officer who tackled Holt lost his footing and his balance, which caused Holt's head to strike the concrete. Holt's lawyer said the incident was entirely avoidable, and that Holt will now require care for the rest of his life.

The family has criticized the police's handling of the incident, stating that it has shattered their trust in law enforcement and damaged Holt's relationship with his five-year-old daughter.