A Clevedon man has criticised the court system after his badly-beaten son lost £5,000 in wages – but had to wait more than a year to receive just £60 compensation.

Alan Wilkins' 35-year-old self-employed son couldn't work for weeks after two men brutally beat him in an unprovoked assault in the toilets of Reflex in Baldwin Street in June 2007.

His two attackers had been drinking all day and after pleading guilty at Bristol Magistrates in February 2008 to assault they were ordered to pay their victim £250 compensation each.

Magistrates ordered they pay it at just £5 a week.

Six months later his son had still only received £60 in total.

In March this year his son was awarded £1,600 by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and was told that the remainder of the compensation was within that award.

Mr Wilkins says the courts should stump up the compensation and then order that it is paid back to the court.

The 66-year-old was moved to contact the Evening Post after the case of Ryan Thomas which featured in the Evening Post on June 16.

Thomas sank nine pints of Stella lager before punching PC Gemma Maggs, 27, in the face outside a kebab shop in Park Street but walked free from Bristol Magistrate's Court.

The 30-year-old of Holton Road, Horfield, received a suspended prison sentence and must pay PC Maggs £500 compensation after pleading guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

He was ordered to pay the money back at £30 a fortnight.

But the court recorded that Thomas already has compensation he owed to someone for an outstanding careless driving conviction.

Mr Wilkins said: "My son was attacked by two men he had never even met. He lost somewhere in the region of £5,000 because he could not work.

"They were both ordered to pay him compensation of £250 each. But in six months my son received just £30 from each of his attackers.

"They don't seem to be chased for the money so why does anybody think they are going to pay up?

"If someone has to take time off work they need a lump son to tide them over. It's no good getting it in dribs and drabs as and when the person who has committed the crime will pay it.

"How can they have the money to go out drinking all day but suddenly plead poverty when they are in court?

"What should happen is that the court should pay the compensation to the victim and get it back from the guilty party.

"It's crazy. Some movie star gets called a prat on television and gets paid £2 million for it.

"But somebody gets kicked the hell out of in an unprovoked attack and they have to fight for every penny of what they are owed. It makes you wonder how long this poor police officer will wait for her compensation."

Tania Shillam, a spokeswoman for Her Majesty's Court Service, said: "The vast majority of fines are paid.

"However, the Government recognises that not all compensation is paid to the victim's satisfaction.

"That's why we are already exploring ways to improve the system following recommendations in the Casey Review.

"Offenders who fail to pay victims compensation are pursued vigorously by HM Courts Service who use all means at their disposal to trace those who do not pay."