MAINTENANCE DAY

Evening Star, Issue 19129, 22 December 1925, Page 13

MAINTENANCE DAY

CASES AT POLICE COURT Monday has now come to be regarded as maintenance day at the City Police Court, and there was tho usual budget of eases yesterday morning, in which undutiful husbands figured prominently. HEAVILY IN ARREARS. Charles Reeves was charged with the disobedience of a maintenance order ima.de in respect to his child, the arrears up till November 30 being £76 2s 7d. ’Flic defendant stated that he earned £1 8s per week when working full time, lie admitted that he had not paid anything since February. The defendant was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long ns he paid the current order (J2s 6d per week) and 7s Gd arrears. THE INQUISITIVE SENIOR SERGEANT. James Sinclair admitted being in arrears on a maintenance order made in respect to his child. The defendant stated that he earned £4 Jss per week, and paid 9s rent. “How much do you spend on beer?” asked Senior-sergeant. Quarlcrmaiii. “ Not much,” replied the defendant. “ Well, you’ve had a. few this morning, haven't you?” queried the Senior Sergeant. “ Only one,” confided Sinclair, who also proffered the information that it had been given him. Tho defendant admitted that tho arrears amounted to £lB up till the end of November. The defendant was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, the warrant to bo suspended as long as he paid the, current order (I.os per week), and 5s off the arrears. MUST PAY OR GO TO GAOL.

Ernest Edward Simmons, whose case had been adjourned to allow inquiry to be made concerning £su said to bo owing to him from a bankrupt estate, came forward again. Tho Maintenance Officer said that the Assignee-Hind told him there was nothing in the estate.

Defendant was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, v tho warrant to be suspended so long as tic paid Cl 10s weekly on tho current order and 2s 6d a week off the arrears. THREAT OF GAOL NEEDED. Edward Bora man, £3l 15s in arrears on u maintenance order, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, to be released on the payment of arrears. The Maintenance Officer explained that the defendant never paid up nntil threatened with gaol. INFORMATION DISMISSEI). Agnes Liddell Nicol (Mr E. J. Anderson) proceeded against Gavin Nicol (Mr J. Wilkinson) for a maintenance order. The complainant stated that, she was married on September 20, 1905. There were two children. She said that she had been engaged conducting boardinghouses with the defendant, but her doctor stated that she was not in a fit state to do heavy work. Her husband had ill-treated her in Trent of the children. The defendant left her over a year ago, and since then she had been employed at the Rosiyu Mills. To Mr Wilkinson; He used to conic homo nasty and sulk for weeks. Complainant, answering questions, said that when she left her husband she took some furniture away with her. Her son was living with her again, and had paid her 17s 6d a week for a time. Tho violence she had spoken of was not tho result, of her own indiscretions. To Mr Anderson: The fund tore, bought' out, of the household funds, was in tier named Defendant said that disagreement first arose because his wife wanted to put the boy away. She and the son did not seem to be able to get on together. Silo, wanted to have him hoarded out. 111-health had for a long time prevented defendant from working.

The Magistrate said that the case was one of tho distressing ones in which husband and wife lived together until the children had grown up. It was quite obvious from the doctor's certificate that had boon handed in that the defendant was not able to do heavy work. He was not satisfied that the circumstances under which complainant left her husband justified the making of an order and it ,seemed unfortunate that such a rase came before the court. He dismissed the information, costs not being allowed.