Woman butted by ram compensated

DARWIN - An Australian woman injured when she was butted in the bottom by a 70kg ram was today awarded almost $A1.3 million($NZ1.43 million) in compensation.

Ivene (Ivene) Denise Bryan was going into her office at the Arid Zone Research Institute in Alice Springs in June 1994 when the ram attacked.

It tossed Mrs Bryan some 2.5m and she landed face-down. The ram then stood over her for 30 minutes while she called for help.

The ram had escaped from an adjoining fenced area managed by the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission, which had hired Mrs Bryan to feed animals at the institute.

In the Northern Territory Supreme Court today, Mrs Bryan was awarded $A1,278,000 in compensation.

Justice Sally Thomas said the commission had failed in its duty of care, saying Mrs Bryan suffered substantial and debilitating injuries to her lower back, groin and legs.

- AAP