Mcleod's Daughters: articles


McLeod's Daughters star suing over rock fall

McLEOD'S Daughters television star Aaron Jeffery says he had to have a nose reconstruction after rocks fell 8m on the set and landed on his head and face.

The Logie award winner is suing stunt company Drumville Pty Ltd and stunt co-ordinator Peter West for unspecified damages.

Jeffery was filming an episode of McLeod's Daughters at an abandoned quarry at Sandy Creek, South Australia, in May 2003 when the incident occurred, a statement of claim lodged with the state's District Court says.

Jeffery, 36, was involved in a scene in which his character, Alex Ryan, was required to descend a cliff face at "reckless speed", the statement alleges.

A stuntman was employed to "perform the majority of the descent".

"(Mr Jeffery) was standing at the foot of the cliff face rehearsing the performance of the stunt . . . when a rock or rocks were dislodged from the cliff face by (a) climbing rope and fell from a distance of approximately eight metres, striking (him) on the head and face," the statement says.

Mr Jeffery claims he suffered injuries and gained weight as a result of depression after the incident.

He says he suffered facial cuts, grazes, a broken nose, bruising, scarring, whiplash, deformation of the nasal cavity, concussion and nausea. He claims he now has a loss of "opportunity by reason of a facial disfigurement".

His injuries required extensive treatment by a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, including reconstruction of his nose and nasal passages.

He says he is now restricted in his ability to perform action scenes, "involving such activities (as using) motorbikes or a horse".

Court documents claim the site selected for the stunt "was prone to rock falls" and that the area was not properly examined.

He was allegedly not properly advised to stand a safe distance from the cliff face.

He says the stunt company failed to establish a safe area for cast and crew to stand where they were not at risk of injury from rock falls.

The defences will be known when they are lodged with the court.

By Nick Henderson
June 10, 2006
The Herald Sun