Walter Vignoli v Sydney Harbour Casino [1999] NSWSC 1113
The case Vignoli v Sydney Harbour Casino [1999] involved the tort of false imprisonment.
Walter Vignoli, a patron at the Sydney Harbour Casino, was detained by casino staff after being overpaid.
Facts
Walter Vignoli sued Sydney Harbour Casino for false imprisonment following an incident in June 1996. After being allegedly overpaid at a gaming table in the Endeavour Room, Mr. Vignoli tried unsuccessfully to verify the overpayment and leave the premises but was detained by casino security. The casino’s position was that he could leave only after returning the excess payment.
Judgment in Walter Vignoli v Sydney Harbour Casino
The court held that this constituted false imprisonment, as the detention lacked lawful justification, and merely providing an option to leave under certain conditions did not negate the unlawful nature of the confinement.
In November 1999, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Mr. Vignoli, finding that the casino acted in a “high-handed” manner by unlawfully depriving him of liberty. He was awarded $30,000 in compensatory damages for the distress and humiliation caused by being falsely imprisoned for several hours, $10,000 by way of aggravated damages for the fact that the defendants decided to contest liability and force the plaintiff to endure a trial – despite it being obvious, and $35,000 in exemplary damages for false imprisonment.
List of References:
- https://www.elitigation.sg/gdviewer/s/2015_SGHC_289
- https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/documents/reports/casino/2000-Section-31-Investigation-Report.pdf
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
MORE FROM TORT LAW: