CASE DISMISSED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 154, 11 April 1930, Page 4

CASE DISMISSED.

WIFE SEEKS MAINTENANCE. WOULD NOT LIVE WITH HUSBAND (Special to the “Guardian.”) TIMARU, This Day. In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., Lena Blackwell (Mr L. J. O'Connell) proceeded against her husband, Bernard Lewis Blackwell (Air J.. M. Inglis), lor a separation, maintenance and guardianship order in respect to herself and her two children, on the grounds of failure to maintain, and habitual inebriation. Complainant stated the parties had been married on June 28, 1U26, and got on quite well until the first baby was born and her husband purchased a ear, in which lie used to visit Chertsey and leave. witness with the baby at his mother’s home. Her husband had been arrested for drunkenness in charge of the car at Ashburton, and had been fined £l3, and had his license cancelled. In August, 1928, when witness had been living with her mother at Otaio, witness, as a result of a visit there, had been convicted of being on enclosed premises without authority, and had been released on probation under certain conditions. Her husband had been imprisoned for a breach of his probation. Witness had been forced to work to maintain herself, and for the past nine months had. received no support for herself. She did not desire to go back to her husband because he was unable to provide a home. To Mr Inglis: Witness had not asked her husband for money. He had paid all that was required under tlie terms of his probation, prior to being imprisoned. Her, husband had asked her twice to go l to a home with him, but she bad refused to do so. *

Air Inglis: “If your husband wasjrepared .to rent a* house in Ashburton, would you go?” Witness: “No.”

Mr Inglis: “That’s the trouble. You don’t want to live with him.”

The Magistrate said that belore granting a separation, some good reason would have to be shown why the wife could not go back. In the circumstances the husband had no case to answer. He was quite prepared to maintain his wife in addition to the children.. ' The case would be dismissed.