Sutton v. Temple

Thomas Temple (defendant) leased a field of edible grass from Anne Sutton (plaintiff) for £40, intending to feed his cattle, though that purpose was never stated in the lease; unbeknownst to Temple, the grass was contaminated with manure containing paint particles, and several of his cattle died after eating it, leading him to vacate before the lease ended and refuse to pay the £40. A jury found the cattle were poisoned by the paint and awarded Sutton only £12 for Temple's actual period of occupation; Temple moved for a verdict in his favor, and Sutton moved to increase the damages to £26.