$30,000 libel verdict

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 6

$30,000 libel verdict

PA Wellington /L jury has awarded James Samuel Montecino, aged 76, an entertainer, $30,000 damages in a libel action against Wellington Newspapers, publishers of “Truth.” The jury, sitting in the Supreme Court at Wellingtook more than five and-.a half hours to reach itsiverdict. The jury was told by the Chief Justice (Sir Ronald Davison) tit might think one libel was bad enough. But to be< libelled again iarespect of the same matter, years later — “when you have already one verdict in the first libel action — was a matter of considerable aggravation.”

His Honour was summing up in a $125,000 defamation claim by Mr Montecino. Mr Montecino, who was awarded damages against “Truth,” in 1924, claimed that an article in “Truth” of May 15. 1979, headed “Snoring his way to the record.” contained similar allegations to those in the 1924 article.

He claimed that by the article’s meaning he did not break the marathon piano-playing record in June, 1924, that he did not play for 100 hours and 10 minutes consecutively in June, 1924, and that he slept for 20 hours of that time.