TT story leads to $240,000 in defamation costs
A judge orders Seven to pay $240,000 in damages to a mortgage broker found to have been defamed by a story on Today Tonight in 2004.
- Published by David Knox
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A mortgage broker has been awarded $240,000 in a defamation case against the Seven Network following a 2004 story on Today Tonight.
Seven has been ordered to pay damages to Peter Mahommed after falsely portraying him as having fleeced $1 million from a dementia patient, notes AAP. The network had aired a story in June 2004 and two on air promotions.
In the first promotion, a voice-over said: “Stolen, stolen, stolen. The million dollar dementia patient rip-off.
“She kept forgetting, so this mortgage broker took everything she had.”
Reporter David Richardson then asked: “Where’s her money?”
The story featured Doreen Sylvia Smith, then 76, of Caves Beach south of Newcastle and her son Trevor Steele being interviewed by Mr Richardson. But Justice David Kirby said the elderly woman had not suffered from dementia and was a “practised fraudster”.
Mr Mahommed, 53, worked in the Newcastle area but since the show could not continue in the job. He moved house, grew a beard and wore a baseball cap so people would not recognise him.
“In the five years that have elapsed since the program, Mr Mahommed has certainly aged and presented as a person much less confident than he appeared on the screen,” the judge said.
In 2007, a jury found the material conveyed 12 defamatory meanings about Mr Mahommed. Seven did not put in a “truth” defence to 10 of the meanings – all of which the judge found were untrue and “devastating” to Mr Mahommed’s previous excellent reputation.
The broadcaster argued two were true, that Mr Mahommed charged Ms Smith “outrageous fees” and that he was a dishonest financial adviser and mortgage broker. But Justice Kirby rejected those submissions. He also said Ms Smith, who when married was known as Mrs Steele, had a “colourful past” and over the years had been convicted of dishonesty offences and had served time in jail.
Source: AAP / The Age
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12 Responses
Trash journalism wins every time, this fine is nothing, 5 years a bit late dont you think.
at least this time tt have been punished unlike when the acma intervenes always ending with no further action will be taken.
Now someone should just sue the show for being too crap to watch…
So TT has finally received a real punishment for its ever so frequent lapses in journalistic standards and common human decency.
Although if you average these damages out against every other act of defamation, breach of journalism ethics and general acts of a**e-hattery, then the cost averages out to…about $4.50 per breach.
this is outrageous, tt’s false reporting has ruined this poor mans career, yet those who are involved and producing this story and many others like this escape with there job intact , yes sometimes reporters do make honest mistakes but tt and aca constantly make things up just to get a good story and as i have said before its the truth that really makes a good story, those involved in this story are scum as they are just people being paid to ruined someone’s life. disgraceful. also david do tt pay this 240,000 out of there own pockets?
For those who say that there is nothing better on at 6.30 so they watch this garbage, put a DVD on or something.
Mr Mahommed … that explains everything.
In the eyes of TT and their scummy viewers, when it comes down to little old ladies and Arabs, it’s pretty obvious who’s going to win.
The reporter should be the one wearing a baseball cap and growing a beard so people don’t recognise him or his fellow reporters. How embarrassing must it be to work for these programs.
You know the only way to kill these shows is to stop watching them right?
Hey Mikey – good post mate – I think you echo the sentiment of most who still watch Today Tonight or that other trashy current affairs slop – A Current Affair. Both shows love a sensational angle but rarely do they like it when the tables are turned. Tracey Grimshaw didn’t like it when Gordon Ramsay had a spray about her so she used her own show to respond – most of the poor sods on her show never get a chance to respond when they are confronted with often false allegations and it’s the same on Today Tonight.
The reporter in this case David Richardson has a history of questionable reporting – I recall he was the reporter who pretended he was being chased by policeman in Majorca when coverring Christopher Skase – it transpired that the vision he used showed he wasnt even in majorca nor was he being chased by authorities.
It’s a shame these reporters arent fined 250,000 as well as the network – I dare say the reporters and their reporting wouldn’t be nearly as reckless.
It’s not the first time that Today Tonight’s “victims” have turned out to be conmen/women. $240,000 is a paltry sum for loss of income for the past 5 years. What about future losses? Why did this take 5 years to be resolved? It would be pretty disgraceful of Seven to appeal.
It’s a bloody outrage that it takes 5 years, half a decade, for these sorts of legal and defamation cases to be sorted.
In the meantime TT has been doing the same thing, week on week, to other unsuspecting people who may well be, but in many cases not, guilty as charged (in the court-room of trashy current affairs shows).
What flamin’ mongrels 😕