‘This isn’t over’, says woman who won shooting payout
The woman who won a record payout after she was shot by police during a bungled raid on a nightclub swingers party is demanding that the ‘‘two shooters are put away’’.
Zita Sukys, 39, and her then partner, Dale Ewins, were at Inflation nightclub in July 2017 when heavily armed police stormed a Sinners and Saints costume party and shot both of them.
The pair won millions of dollars in compensation when they settled their civil case with Victoria Police this week before evidence could be given in the Supreme Court shedding light on the force’s conduct.
Victoria’s corruption watchdog has slammed Victoria Police for failing to investigate the officers involved in the shooting, instead focusing on the actions of Sukys and Ewins.
‘‘This isn’t over for me. I still can’t sleep at night,’’ Sukys told
The Age. ‘‘A payout isn’t going to make me feel safe. The shooters are still out there and are criminals in my eyes.’’
Police have insisted throughout that they acted properly because Ewins had pointed a gun at them while in the middle of a sex act.
On Thursday a senior Victoria Police officer continued to assert that the officers acted in selfdefence.
Ewins, who was carrying a plastic toy gun as part of his Joker costume, rejected the allegation and was never charged.
‘‘He didn’t do anything wrong,’’ said Sukys. ‘‘He didn’t even have anything in his hand.’’
Sukys said the actions of the Critical Incident Response Team at the King St nightclub must be investigated by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.
‘‘I want to know when IBAC will launch their independent investigation. There is so much more to the incident than the public are aware of.’’
IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich criticised Victoria Police on Thursday for failing to investigate itself over the shooting.
‘‘Victoria Police only investigated the conduct of the patrons involved in this incident, and not the actions and conduct of police officers,’’ he said.
‘‘Victoria Police failed to assess the planning and actions of the police officers involved in this incident.’’
The details of the settlement are confidential, however, it is believed Sukys will be paid about $1.5 million by the state. Ewins will receive a payout closer to $2m. The pair will also have their legal costs met, a bill expected to cost millions.
Sukys was also given a public acknowledgement by a police barrister that she was an innocent bystander who had done nothing wrong.
‘‘I don’t have anyone to protect me,’’ she said. ‘‘I no longer have Victoria Police protecting me because I fear for mine and my family’s safety. It has affected me physically, medically and psychologically, and I have to live this for the rest of my life.’’
Sukys, who is represented by Carbone Lawyers, said she wouldn’t stop speaking out until ‘‘the two shooters’’ who fired at her and Ewins were ‘‘put away’’.
‘‘They’ve got way too much power,’’ she said.
The conduct of Victoria Police’s lawyers, taking more than two years to settle the proceedings on the eve of a trial, was ‘‘absolutely atrocious’’, she said.
‘‘They’ve shown no empathy, no remorse,’’ she said. ‘‘I live in fear. I don’t know who to trust.’’
John Karantzis, partner of Carbone Lawyers, confirmed to
The Age that a formal request had been made to IBAC on Thursday for it to investigate.
Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the force’s internal Professional Standards Command would reopen its investigation to see whether new evidence had arisen during the legal action.
He said the officers involved had his support: ‘‘They acted in self-defence.’’