Raynor v Murray [2019] NSWDC 189

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Raynor v Murray [2019] NSWDC 189 Hearing dates: 6, 7 and 8 February 2019 Date of orders: 17 May 2019 Decision date: 17 May 2019 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff for $120,000. (2) Liberty to apply in relation to interest and costs. (3) Exhibits retained until further order. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – email to residents of strata building – defences under ss 25, 31 and 33 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) – defence of qualified privilege at common law – reply to attack – malice – damages – whether aggravated damages should be awarded – mitigation of damages – award of $120,000 Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss 25, 31, 33, 34 and 35 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 48 and 79 Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) Cases Cited: Al Muderis v Duncan (No 3) [2017] NSWSC 726 Alexander v Clegg [2004] 3 NZLR 586 at 602 Assaf v Skalkos [2000] NSWSC 418 Attrill v Christie [2007] NSWSC 1386 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v McBride (2001) 53 NSWLR 430 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Obeid [2006] NSWCA 231 Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 366 Bass v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2003] NSWCA 118 Bauer Media Pty Ltd v Wilson (No 2) [2018] VSCA 154 Blackwell v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2007] EWHC 3098 Bowden v KSMC Holdings Pty Ltd t/as Hubba Bubba Childcare on Haig & Chapman [2019] NSWDC 98 Brooks v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 1331 Broome v Cassell & Co Ltd [1972] AC 1027 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 1 WLR 579 Carolan v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 1091 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Cerutti v Crestside Pty Ltd [2016] 1 Qd R 89 Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd v Mahommed (2010) 278 ALR 232 Clark v Ainsworth (1996) 40 NSWLR 463 Cole v Operative Plasterers Federation of Australia (NSW Branch) (1927) 28 SR (NSW) 62 Coxon v Wilson [2016] WASCA 48 Coyne v Citizen Finance Ltd (1991) 172 CLR 211 Cripps v Vakras [2015] VSC 193 Davis v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 693 Eardley v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1374 Echo Publications Pty Ltd v Tucker [2007] NSWCA 73 Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd v Kazal [2017] NSWCA 77 Feldman v Polaris Media Pty Ltd as trustee of The Polaris Media Trust trading as The Australian Jewish News (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 1035 Field v Local Sunday Newspapers (North) Ltd [2002] EWHC 336 Gacic v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd (2015) 89 NSWLR 538 Gayle v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2); Gayle v The Age Company Pty Ltd (No 2); Gayle v The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 1838 Gordon v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 410 Gray v Motor Accident Commission (1998) 196 CLR 1 Gray v Scottish Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1890) 17 IR 1185 Green v Schneller [2000] NSWSC 548 Groom v Crocker [1939] 1 KB 194 Haddon v Forsyth [2011] NSWSC 123 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Tingle [2001] NSWCA 194 Heytesbury Holdings Pty Ltd v City of Subiaco [1998] WASC 183, 9 WAR 440 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2014) 86 NSWLR 96 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Hitchcock (2007) 70 NSWLR 484 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Rivkin (2003) 201 ALR 77 Jones v Sutton (2003) 61 NSWLR 614 Gair v Greenwood [2017] NSWSC 1652 Goyan v Motyka [2008] NSWCA 28 Gross v Weston (2007) 69 NSWLR 279 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Ahmed (2015) 90 NSWLR 695 Hayson v Nationwide News Pty Limited [2019] FCA 81 Kingsfield Holdings Pty Ltd v Rutherford [2016] WASC 117 Loveday v Sun Newspapers Pty Ltd (1938) 59 CLR 503 McKenzie v Mergen Holdings Pty Ltd (1990) 20 NSWLR 42 Megna v Marshall [2010] NSWSC 686 Mengi v Hermitage [2012] EWHC 3445 Millane v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 853 Morgan v Odhams Press Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1239 Motyka v Gojan [2007] NSWSC 31 Neesham v 6PR Southern Cross Radio Pty Ltd & Ors [2006] WASC 266 Nowlan v Marson Transport Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 346 O'Brien v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2014] NSWSC [2016] NSWSC 1289 Otten v Schutt 15 Wis.2d 497, 113 N.W.2d 152 (1962) Palmer v Belan [1999] NSWSC 187 Penton v Calwell (1945) 70 CLR 219 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton (2009) 238 CLR 460 Ridis v Strata Plan 10308 [2005] NSWCA 246 Rigby v Associated Newspapers Pty Ltd [1969] 1 NSWLR 729 Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1 Robinson v Brighton [2007] NSWSC 1125 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 357 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCA 550 Sands v State of South Australia [2015] SASCFC 346 Sheales v The Age Co Ltd [2017] VSC 380 Singleton v Ffrench (1986) 5 NSWLR 425 Sleboda v Sleboda [2008] NSWCA 122 Skalkos v Assaf (2002) Aust Torts Reports 81-644 Sonier v Breau (1912) 41 N.B.R 177 Templar v Watt (No 3) [2016] NSWSC 1230 Todd v Swan Television and Radio Broadcasters Pty Ltd (2001) 25 WAR 284 Trad v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 750 Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497 Turner v MGM Pictures Ltd [1950] 1 All ER 449 Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 58 Watts v Times Newspapers Ltd [1997] QB 650 Wilson v Bauer Media Pty Ltd [2017] VSC 521 Wing v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (2017) 255 FCR 61 Wootton v Sievier [1913] 3 KB 499 Texts Cited: Brown on Defamation (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, United States), Second Edition (formerly The Law of Defamation in Canada) (Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Gary Raynor Defendant: Patricia Murray Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr R Potter / Mr A Munro Defendant: Ms S Chrysanthou / Mr B Dean