Mayor’s Claim For Alleged Slander

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30220, 27 August 1963, Page 16

Mayor’s Claim For Alleged Slander

(Neu> Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 26. Alfred Cyril Crocombe, Mayor of Birkenhead since 1959 and a company manager, is claiming £l5OO damages from a former Birkenhead borough councillor, Michael Sheehan, a contractor, for alleged slander. The action before Mr Justice Woodhouse and a jury is expected to last several days.

Crocombe (Mr Bayne Sinclair) alleges that on October 5, 1962, Sheehan approached him while he was in a car at Beachhaven and "falsely and maliciously spoke and published” statements that Crocombe was a “dirty, ratten crook . . . shuffled tenders in favour of Bitumlx, and that he had received back

handers . . in connexion with council contracts. All these allegations were untrue. Crocombe said, in evidence. Mr P. B. Temtn is appearing for Sheehan. Crocombe said he had first been elected Mayor of Birkenhead in 1959, and had been returned unopposed last year. Sheehan was a member of the council when he joined it but Sheehan resigned in 1961. Crocombe said he was with a Mr Stanley when Sheehan used the language objected to. He said Sheehan had pulled him by the tie and invited him outside, but he remained in his car, as he did not want a scene. Sheehan’s tone was mostly rather loud, he said. Cross-examined by Mr Temm. Crocombe said that contracts worth £llO,OOO had been let directly to Bitumix, Ltd., without public tenders being called. He said that since his election, a borough overseer, a secretary to the town clerk, and a town clerk, all of many years’ standing, had left the borough employ. He said his own solicitors had become the borough solicitors during his term of

office, and that borough money had been placed with his own bank. Re-examined by Mr Sinclair, Crocombe said the borough had had less trouble with Bitumlx, Ltd., than with other contractors. The hearing will continue tomorrow.