Town clerk loses defamation suit
PA Napier The former Napier Town Clerk, Mr Ray Tucker, has lost a $60,000 civil defamation suit he brought against the city’s Mayor, Mr Dave Prebensen. After deliberating for seven hours the jury in the High Court at Napier returned with the verdict that a statement issued by Mr Prebensen about Mr Tucker on December 12, 1983, included defamatory content, but was true. Mr Tucker was asked by the council to resign as town clerk in October,
1983, and accepted a position as research officer with the council. In 1984 he was appointed Town Clerk of Timaru. The trial lasted six days, and centred on a statement released to two newspapers (but not printed by them in full), and broadcast on Radio New Zealand. In that statement Mr Prevensen referred to Mr Tucker’s honesty, loyalty, morality and integrity. Mr Tucker has 14 days to appeal the decision.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860227.2.126
Bibliographic details
Press, 27 February 1986, Page 31
Word Count
152Town clerk loses defamation suit Press, 27 February 1986, Page 31
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.