Doones ordered to pay $74,330 costs

Former police commissioner Peter Doone and his wife Robyn have been ordered to pay $74,330 costs for their discontinued defamation action against Fairfax New Zealand.

The Doones took the action against Fairfax, owners of the Sunday Star-Times, because the newspaper reported Mr Doone told a constable "that won't be necessary" when he stopped their car in 1999 and was about to breath test Robyn Doone.

Mr Doone resigned in January 2000 and initiated the action against the paper for printing the comment.