Racing NSW chief Peter V’landys sues ABC for splicing ‘disturbing footage’ with his interview, court hears

Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys was “greatly injured” when the ABC spliced “disturbing footage” of horse mistreatment with an interview with him, a court has heard.

Racing NSW’s boss was shocked and hurt when he tuned in to see horrific footage of retired racehorses being slaughtered — spliced with an interview he had done in good faith, a court has heard.

Peter V’landys is suing the ABC and a journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna for defamation in the Federal Court after an episode of 7.30, which he claims painted him as though he “callously permitted the wholesale slaughter” of horses.

He is seeking aggravated damages over the segment “The Final Race”, aired in October, which exposed disturbing details of thoroughbreds being killed in knackeries in NSW and Queensland.

Peter V’landys appearing on 7.30. Picture: ABC

It showed graphic footage of horses being kicked, dragged, shocked, bolted through the head and inhumanely slaughtered at an abattoir in Caboolture, north of Brisbane.

Lawyers previously told the court the national broadcaster did not disclose to Mr V’landys it had obtained the footage before he fronted an interview for the program.

Barrister Sue Chrysanthou, acting for Mr V’landys, told the court on Thursday that evidence for the NSW Racing chief executive’s aggravated damages claim had now been served.

The ABC’s barrister, Clarissa Amato, said the claims made were inaccurate and served “woefully late”, three weeks after the agreed date, and argued the two-day hearing set down for September might have to be expanded.

The report revealed horrific details about racehorse slaughter. Picture: ABC

Ms Chrysanthou, however, said the claim for aggravated damages was “pretty straightforward”.

“What we say really is that the preparation of the program was a matter that gives rise to aggravation,” she said.

“It contains some pretty disturbing footage of horses being mistreated. That footage is interwoven with an interview my client consented to.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“The ABC and the journalist had that footage, and intended to use that footage, and intended to do so interwoven with the interview with my client and didn’t show it to him.

“It’s the hurt arising from that.”

The segment defamed Mr V’landys, his lawyers have argued, and brought his reputation into public disrepute, ridicule and contempt as it depicted him as someone who was ignoring horse deaths.

Documents filed with the court state he was “greatly injured” by the program.

The ABC is standing by its report and will defend the proceedings.

A distressing scene from the report. Picture: ABC

In the interview, the racing boss said he had no knowledge of the practice taking place in NSW, but the ABC’s investigation identified 14 horses had been sent to knackeries in the state.

Racing NSW later explained in a statement that 12 of those horses had predominantly lived interstate and were beyond its jurisdiction.

The governing body said it prohibited the slaughter of industry horses in knackeries if the animal had predominantly lived in NSW.

The matter will return to court on July 27.