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An Auckland company boss has been awarded nearly $1 million in one of the country's biggest defamation payouts.
In his decision released at the High Court in Auckland, Justice Mark Cooper ordered American businessman Vincent Siemer to pay Vector chairman Michael Stiassny $920,000 for defamatory comments stretching back to 2005.
They included repeated accusations about Mr Stiassny's business practices and personal relationships and also ethnic slurs.
Justice Cooper said in his decision Mr Siemer led protests outside the home of Mr Stiassny, whose children suffered harassment by their peers.
Mr Stiassny had been appointed as a receiver of Mr Siemer's firm, Paragon Services, in July 2001. Mr Siemer later accused Mr Stiassny of declaring his company was insolvent when it was not.
During the escalating dispute, Mr Siemer posted derogatory remarks about Mr Stiassny on websites, conducted a letter-writing campaign and distributed notices and stickers around Auckland.
- NZPA
