Melbourne nightclub owner Martha Tsamis has been awarded $90,000 in damages by a Supreme Court judge following a five-year battle with Victoria Police over defamatory comments made by a former senior officer to the media.

A jury ruled in August that media interviews given by then superintendent Brett Guerin had damaged Ms Tsamis' reputation, while his claim that her venue, Inflation nightclub was a "honey-pot" for drug dealers was substantially true.

Martha Tsamis, owner of Inflation nightclub, sued Victoria Police for defamation. Credit:Jason South

Supreme Court justice John Dixon said Mr Guerin had unfairly maligned Ms Tsamis by suggesting she allowed minors to enter her King Street club and had jeopardised the health of patrons.

"Having regard to the gravity of the sting of the false imputations and their widespread dissemination, the effect that they had on the plaintiff’s reputation and the hurt and distress experienced by Ms Tsamis, I have awarded Ms Tsamis the sum of $90,000," Justice Dixon said on Wednesday morning.