"BEATEN AND KICKED."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 8

"BEATEN AND KICKED."

■'„___ .*» , , ; ■ BRUTALITY TO A WIFE. CASE FROM HOKIANGA. WOMAN TELLS SAD STORY. *i SEPARATION AND MAINTENANCE. K [B2 TELEGRAPH.—OWK CORRESPONDENT.] \\M CHBISTCHTJECTI. Tuesday. A wife, who stated hi had been' .'" i punched and kicked and horse-whipped by her husband and then ordered to leave her homo and nine children, told a sad story in the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, 3.M. Helen. Marion Field, now living at Christchurch, proceeded against Robert Harry , Field, dairy-farmer, of Hbkianga, (or,, separation, maintenance, and guardianship orders in respect of nine children, en the grounds of persistent cruelty and wilful failure to maintain. Mr. R. A. Cuthbert appeared for complainant and Mr. A. . Brassington appeared for defendant. Mr. Cuthbert said very serious allega- - tions of cruelty of a brutal kind were made by the complainant. There was. a . large family of the marriage, only one of whom was over 16 years of age. The father was a dairy-farmer, holding 150 acres of freehold and 50 acres of lease in perpetuity land, and his income way £260 a year and a bonus. Complainant alleged treatment of a kind that was seldom heard of in Court, and also that in addition to the cruelty defendant was not a fit and proper person to have charge . '\,% of the children The wife gave evidence on the lines, of counsel's statement. ,"• Mr. Brassington said as far as the de- . fence was concerned the only question was that of maintenance. In face of the >.„ wife's evidence the cruelty must be ad- ■ niitted. The Magistrate: It seem* a pretty - strong case in that respect. No evidence was called for the defence. .- ! 0 Mr. Brassington said the case was a par- . ticnlarly unfortunate on. The defendant's • actions seemed to have been hasty ones. - He was a man of hasty temper. The magistrate said he was glad to be : : able to say that it was seldom that one came cross a case where a man had be- ';""*'• haved with such brutality to hia wife. She was a woman who seemed to have \ been a good wife to him, and the hua*"'."■:, band had nothing to say against her except that as the Jesuit of nervous ''. breakdown, she had been in a mental institution for n while*, That would be all the more reason for hia treating her N with more kindness. Her husband had beaten her with his fists and had kicked her, and had hit her with a horse-whip. It was intolerable that the woman should live with him for one moment. When a , husband abused his position, as a father , , his wife had the right to separate and take the children with her if she were , able to look after them. He could see ; no reason why she could not manage to ' bring up the children, and the husband had shown that he was not a fit and proper person to bring up growing girls. They were at that age when care was needed with them. The separation would be granted, and' the wife would be given the custody of ; the children. Maintenance - would be ■.-; j granted at the rate of £1 a week lor the;. ; wife and £3 a week for the children.