State Solicitor’s Office ‘pauses’ court challenge to compensation bid by one-punch victim Danny Hodgson

One-punch victim Danny Hodgson has had a major win in his bid for financial compensation with the State Government pausing its court challenge and instead gathering around the mediation table. The UK-born Perth resident was left in a wheelchair and with a traumatic brain injury after an unprovoked attack by a 17-year-old who was out on bail after a string of violent assaults in 2021. Since the devastating attack, Mr Hodgson has been unable to work and needs full-time care as well as extensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy. He and his partner Jess Pollock are suing the State for negligence, arguing Mr Hodgson’s attacker should never have been out on bail and seeking compensation to cover the cost of around-the-clock care. They were blindsided in July when the State Solicitor’s Office filed an application to strike out Mr Hodgson’s writ - a bid to deny him his day in court. But a follow up hearing slated for last week did not eventuate, no future date is listed and Mr Hodgson said the strike out application had been revoked. “The pause in court, in my view, could mean the government is unsure about their next steps,” Mr Hodgson told The West Australian. “It feels like they may be trying to figure out how to handle the case moving forward. “I think they’re realising it’s not worth fighting.” A State Government spokesperson said Attorney-General John Quigley recently met with the couple “to discuss the situation and Danny’s future”. “We are very sympathetic towards Danny and Jessica,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “While we are unable to intervene in the discussions between the State Solicitor’s Office and Danny’s lawyers, we are hopeful that they can reach an amicable agreement without the need for legal action.” The State Solicitor’s Office did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Quigley, who will quit politics at the 2025 State election, has stressed that he “can’t tell the department” what to do but described Mr Hodgson’s case as his “last big fight for justice from inside the Parliament”. Mr Hodgson said his health remained “a daily challenge”. “But I’m staying focused on recovery. It’s all about taking it one day at a time and doing the best I can,” he said. The Insurance Commission of WA’s 2024 annual report showed the State Government-owned entity posted a full-year profit after tax equivalent of $462 million.