DAMAGES TOTALLING £l0 GIVEN IN LIBEL ACTION AT AUCKLAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18941, 11 December 1929, Page 5

DAMAGES TOTALLING £lo GIVEN IN LIBEL ACTION AT AUCKLAND.

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, December 10. Damages of £lO were awarded against Sun Newspapers, Ltd., in a libel action in the Supreme Court today. The claim arose out of publication by the “Sun” on August 3 of an account of a disturbance in Nelson Street, in which Thomas Leavy was fatally stabbed. The plaintiff, James Anderson Gallot, claimed £2OO. His name was mentioned with the names of other men in an article headed, “Fracas During Drinking Bout.” He claimed that the article was false and defamatory and meant that he had been guilty of excessive drinking of intoxicating liquors, and that he associated with a person charged with murder. In evidence plaintiff said he had i,o drink in the house mentioned on the night in question. One of the 1 men was going to get drinks, and he

supposed he would have had one if the unfortunate accident had not hap pened. *

In giving judgment for £lO Mr Tust.ce Smith said'that on a fair reading of the article it did state that Gallot had been engaged in a drinking bout Me was presumed to be a sober man’ and therefore his Honor said he must find that there had been some “flee tion on Gallot s character. Gallot clearly had been going to engage in ■drinking, but whether it would have developed into a bout nr +1 Court could not state. the