An imputation that a person broke a child's ribs 'by doing a similar sort of act to shaking him' does not necessarily convey intentional violence and may reasonably be found not defamatory by a jury. A failure to object to jury directions at trial precludes complaint on appeal about the adequacy of those directions. Defence counsel's characterisation of a plaintiff's case as a 'try-on' in a defamation jury trial is improper and may warrant discharge of the jury, but the decision whether to discharge remains within the trial judge's discretion.
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