An e-mail over a Lamborghini sports car has sparked a lengthy courtroom battle between $2 Shop mogul Brian Salmon and a former franchise holder, likened by one top judge to “using a shotgun on a mouse”.
The case reached the Court of Appeal in Wellington yesterday.
It considered an appeal against an earlier High Court decision that turened down a claim of defamation levelled at Lynette McKinnon over the e-mail sent in 2005.
In it, Ms McKinnon, who was based in Hastings, questioned the ongoing use of a Lamborghini, which she said had done nothing to boost sales.
Mr Salmon, who opened the first $2 Shop in New Plymouth in 1994, had bought the Lamborghini in 2003 through his company $2 Shop Ltd, sending a letter to franchise holders saying it would be available for “some promotional purposes”.
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