GRETNA BIGAMIST

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1938, Page 11

GRETNA BIGAMIST

“ATE” HIS SUSPENDERS. “Maried” over the anvil at Gretna less than a fortnight before . his .appearance at the Assizes, Richard .Ifljps Hughes, aged 32, committed frdrii,Alreton, in Derbyshire, was sentenced at Birmingham for bigamy arid attempted suicide. - According to Mr. Douglas Jenkins, for the prosecution, Hughes married in 1932, and there were three children. In February this year he fell out of work, and telling his wife he was going to draw his pension from the Army and his unemployment pay, left home and did not return. Hughes formed an association with a voting woman named Rene Stone, told her he was single,, and, after meeting her parents, became “engaged” to her. Relying on the assurance that he was a bachelor, she agreed to a Gretna Green marriage. They travelled to Scotland and went through a form of marriage on the following day. ■ Hughes signed a declaration to the effect that he had resided in Scotland for 21 days, and that the marriage should be registered within three months. The couple spent the night, m Glasgow, and before returning Hughes borrowed £2 from Miss Stone. Shortly afterwards Hughes met his wife in. Chesterfield and told her he .had married another girl. Hughes, Mr. Jenkins added, was a man of violent temper. When seen by a police officei’ in Clay Cross he remarked:' “I know what yott want. I am going to get a gun to-night and shoot them. 1 love Rene and I am going to have her.” , Superintendent Campbell, of Alfreton. stated that Iltiglies appeared to be moody, and while in custody at--1 tempted to commit suicide by swallowing a buckle off his waistcoat, his suspenders, and other small articles. Telling Hughes that his was “a bad case,” Mr. Justice Wrottesley sentencI cd him to six months’ hard laboui.