SUPREME COURT

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27990, 9 June 1956, Page 12

SUPREME COURT

PETITION FOR DIVORCE OPPOSED

William Watson, a retired civil Servant (Mr E. S. Bowie), petitioned in the Supreme Court yesterday for divorce from Olive Augusta Watson (Mr L. G. Rose, of Wellington) on the ground that she .wilfully deserted him. Mrs Watson opposed the petition. Mr Justice Adams reserved his judgment.

Watson and his wife were married on May 24, 1921, said Mr Bowie. They went to live in Samoa, where Watson was chief surveyor. They stayed there for 12 years, and then returned to Wellington, where they lived for 10 years. In 1946 Watson was appointed chief surveyor of Crown lands at Blenheim, but his wife refused to live there. She was not in good health at that time, and Watson did not insist on her staying at Blenheim. In 1949 Watson was appointed assistant commissioner of Crown lands at Dunedin, but his wife refused to leave Wellington. At the beginning of 1951 Watson was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands at Hokitika. He obtained a flat there, and wrote to his wife to tell her about it. Mrs Watson went to Hokitika on January 8, 1952, but she returned to Wellington on January 31, 1952. after refusing to live in the flat. She told her husband that Wellington was her home, and she was going to live there. That was the last time the petitioner saw her. said Mr Bowie.

The case for the respondent was that she had never refused to live where her husband wanted her to. She told counsel that she considered divorce wrong. It was one of the reasons why she was opposing the petition, but it was not the only one. After hearing evidence for both parties his Honour reserved his judgment. JUDGMENT RESERVED

Mr Justice Adams reserved his judgment when the hearing concluded in the Supreme Court yesterday of the petition by Alan Robert Field, a painter and paperhanger (Mr A. Hearn) for divorce from Phyllis May Field (Mr H. W. Thompson) on the ground of her alleged adultery with laij Douglas Proudfoot, a storeman, who was named as co-respondent. Mrs Field opposed the petition and denied the alleged adultery. The hearing began on Thursday, ■when the case for the petitioner and that for the respondent were stated. Further evidence for the respondent was given yesterday, and counsel for both parties addressed the Court.