CLAIM FOR £176.

Shannon News, 11 March 1927, Page 3

CLAIM FOR £176.

ALLEGED SHEEP WORRYING. Hearing of a claim for £176 6s arising out of the alleged worrying and killing of sheep by two dogs, wa.s continued at Tuesday's sitting of the court at Palmerston. Plaintiff was Richard Matthew Lange, of Shannon, farmer, and defendant Thomas Dalziell, of Makerua, fiaxmiller. The statement of claim set out that, on or about May 12, 1926, two dogs allegedly belonging to defendant worried certain sheep owned by plaintiff and caused material damage; wherefore he claimed £44 and the value ot 22 ewes destroyed, £6 6s as the value of two purebred Romney rams killed, £SO as the value of 25 rams that had been worried and considered a total loss, £75 as the estimated loss through ewes heavy in lamb having been hunted and unnaturally disturbed, and £1 for labour in repairing a fence —a total of £176 6s.

The defence was a total denial of ownership of the dogs, further evidence being called in support of that contention in the morning. At the conclusion of the evi denes the magistrate announced that he would have to accept the evidence showing that Leslie Dalziell, a son of defendant, and one Wood were the owuers of the dogs. He, however, in quired whether it was the intention of plaintiff's counsel to base his claim under section 28 of the Dog Registration Act, Mr Graham replying that he pur- j posed stressing section b of the Act j which, inter alia, reads: "Occupies j premises whereon dogs are permitted J to remain." j Evidence was then called relative to j the damage inflicted on the stock, Leslie Herbert Best, farmer, of Shannon, detailing the losses which plaintiff had I suffered during the course of his farm- j ing operations, particularly at erutching and lambing times, and which J plaintiff had personally informed hire \ of. It was his opinion that sheep which had been.severely bitten either died within forty-eight hours or recovered. At the conclusion of the hearing judgment was reserved.