ACTION FOR SLANDER SUCCEEDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3755, 16 February 1928, Page 2

ACTION FOR SLANDER SUCCEEDS.

At the Palmerston Supreme Court yesterday, William Simpson of Weber, claimed £6OO damages from George Hales, also of Weber, for alleged slander. In the statement of claim it was set out that about November 18, 1927, defendant had twice falsely and maliciously spoken and published words concerning the plaintiff, words which had meant that the plaintiff had knowingly shorn 14 wethers belonging to the defendant and had kept the fleeces, committing the crime of theft. Plaintiff therefore claimed £3OO damages for each insinuation of theft, the costs of and incidental to the proceedings, and such further and other relief in the premises as might be just. For the defence it was denied that the words alleged by plaintiff iiad ever been used by defendant, and that, even if they had been spoken, they did not convey the meaning alleged by plaintiff.

His Honour asked the jury to return a verdict under two headings —first,’ whether words ad or had not been used on the two occasions alleged by plaintiff, and, if so, was their meaning damaging ter plaintiff. The jury retired at 5.30, and returned at. 6.10 with a finding for plaintiff on both accounts, awarding £25 damages on the first account and £IOO on the second, costs being allowed according to scale.