West Australian government pays millions over man's prison van death

PHOTO

The Prison van used to transport Mr Ward. [ABC]

Eliza Blue

Last Updated: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:24:00 +1000

The West Australian government has awarded around $US2.67 million to the family of an Aboriginal elder who died of heat stroke after being transported in a prison van.

Mr Ward, an elder whose full name cannot be used for cultural reasons, died after a four-hour journey across the Goldfields region in sweltering conditions in 2008.

The attorney general Christian Porter says the payment doesn't prevent the Ward family, including his widow Nancy Donergan, from taking legal action against the State Government or the company G4S.

Mr Porter says Mr Ward's death was a tragic event.

"Let me say unequivocally here that fundamentally these monies are being made available for Ms Donergan and her children because the previous Labor government failed to maintain and operate a prison and prisoner transport system of an appropriate enough standard to ensure that this tragic death did not occur."

Not enough

Mr War'ds family say the ex-gratia payment is not enough to compensate for their loss.

His cousin, Daisy, says the family wanted more money.

The extended families are left out and they are really really upset.

But Dennis Eggington from the Aboriginal Legal Service, who acted on behalf of the Ward family, has welcomed the payment.

"It's better than fighting through the court system for criminal compensation."

But Mr Eggington says no amount of money will compensate for the loss of Mr Ward.