GIRL’S LOST EYE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1938, Page 6

GIRL’S LOST EYE

HEAVY DAMAGES AWARDED. [PEE PEEBS ASSOCIATION-1 AUCKLAND, September 20. For the loss of her right eye, as the result of an air rifle accident at Dargaville, a girl, Joyce Manning, through her father, claimed £56 special and £2OOO general damages, before Mr Justice Quilliam, in the Supreme Court, to-day. It. was claimed that when cycling along Victoria Street, Dargaville, in June last year, she was struck in the right eye by a pellet from an „air rifle fired by Douglas Bagby, son of James Bagby, gasworks manager (defendant in the case), and that defendant was negligent in not taking adequate steps to prevent his son from using the rifle. Plaintiff said she had lost the sight of her right eye. No defence was filed. “No amount I could award would compensate this unfortunate girl. She has suffered not only the loss of an eye, but disfigurement,” said His Honor, after hearing evidence and awarding £56 special damages and £l5OO general damages, with costs. “I trust this will not be a Pyrrhic victory,” remarked His Honor to Mr Spense, counsel for plaintiff.