Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 19 March 1927, page 17


CASE RETRIED.

EDEN GEORGE LIBEL.

DAMAGES SUBSTANTIALLY

> REDUCED.

SYDNEY, March IS.

An action was tried by Mr. Justice Peiguson and a jury m September last, m which Lden George, formcily o member oí the State Legislative for Ashburnham, sued "Tiuth" and "Spoitman" Ltd , claim-ing £20,000 damages in respect of an aiticlc whjch appeared m the defendant's nenspapei ' Truth," ou Pebruaiy 28, which was alleged to be defamatorj. The article complained of accused the plaintiff ot having made bets foi substantial sums with several lending bookmaker associatedvvlth 'latteisall's Club some eight jcais ago, and having lost and left foi Ameuca with-out honoiuiu,! his obligations The plain-tif! tcndoi cd evidence to show that since his teturn to Sjdney he had paid all his betting debts, and the jurv letuiued a verdict foi the plaintiff, assessing the damages at £5000 Hie vctdiet was con tested in the lull C'ouit by the defendants, on the grounds that the damages award-ed were excessive, and that some of the detections bv the tinl judge to the juij wercorioneous Hie Pull Court upheld lie appeal o-vtpi easing the opinion that, in view of some of the remaiks made b} the presiding judge in unswet to a question put by the juij while in retirement, the jin-} probablv applied a vviong measure in assessing the damages which appeared to their Honours to be out of pioportion to the circumstances ot the case The action wa» accoidinglj set down for re ti ia! on au issue limited onlv to damage, and today a jurj, by a majontj veidict, assessed damages at £100 Mi Justice Gordon waa the presiding judge