GAOL FOR BIGAMY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 16 June 1932, Page 13

GAOL FOR BIGAMY

EXTRAORDINARY CASE

DETERRENT SENTENCE

"This is a most extraordinary.ease," commented Mr. Justice Reed in the Supreme Court to-day^ ■ when Charles Bertie Mttes, aged 58,.appeared before him for sentence on charges of forgery and uttering and bigamy."

Counsel said that little couid be offered by way of excuse or explanation; The prisoner was married in 1908, and until a few years ago had lived happily with his wife. -They had' then ceased to live as husband and wife, and at the. present time .divorce proceedings had been instituted. The woman with^ whom the prisoner went through the form of marriage wished to marry him when he was released. In regard to the forgery, the, money taken had been paid into the bank, and no further proceedings' w6uld be taken. In view of all the circumstances i"o very - great injustice had been done.

His Honour said that apparently the prisoner lived in the same house as his wife- until March last. He' noted a matrimonial advertisement in a newspaper in February, and communicated with the woman, ay widow,- aged about 50, representing that ho was. a single man. All the time he was living at home he was courting the woman, and at the end of March he forged his son's name to a cheque, married the woman under'a false name, and lived with her until? 30th April. Of conrse, to a certain extent, the woman had brought, the position, on herself by advertising for. a husband, although she might not have deserved such punishment.. .:'-'. .•' .. ■■.•;; •'.'._.. ;; ■;. ;•.; .■■.;' '!.

*fUnfortunately the crime of Jbigamy seems to Ije increasing, and' it becomes the duty of the Court to inflict ■ punish-1 ment which Thrill' deter people from doing it," said his j Honour, in sentencing Fittes to two years' imprisonmentiwith, hard labour,for bigamy and eighteen months' imprisonment on the1 sdcond charge. . ... '

The terms were ordered to foe cohcur. ■rent. '.. : ■•' -~ . ■'-; .■...• ' .;;■' , ■ '.',..:,. ■'