CHARGE OF BIGAMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20923, 13 July 1931, Page 7

CHARGE OF BIGAMY.

MAN'S SECOND OFFENCE.

ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY

Convicted of bigamy in Glasgow in 1920, George Gillies, a resident of Lower Hutt. was charged in the Petone Court on Wednesday, before Mr. J. Kerr and Mr, A. Coles, J.P.'s, with having committeS a similar offence in Dunedin m 1922. Ho pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence. Mr. C. R. Barrett jepresentecl the accused. Gertrude Helen Walter said that she had gone through a form of marriage with Gillies at Dunedin on December 26,, 1922, Gillies describing himself as a bachelor. She had lived with him ever since and there had been one child qf the marriage. Gillies had been a very good husband. Evidence of tho validity of the accused's first and legal marriage in Scotland was given by James Adamson, professor of law, and a member of the Scottish Bar. Detective W. McLennan said that ho had interviewed the accused, who had that at tho timo of his mar-ri-ige in Dunedin ho had known that his nt><? wife was alive. Ho had married her, h* said, in J913, and in 1914 ho went to the war, returning later to live with' hor for » few weeks. There were two children by that marriage. His wife took proceedings .against him for separation and maintenance on the grounds of cruelty and because he had failed to pay the main tenance, as he was out of work, he left Scotland in 1922. Counsel for accused objected to the statement alleging cruelty, which Gillies denied. Detective McLennan produced a copy of a "certificate of marriage between the accused and another woman in Glasgow in 1920, together with a record of the conviction of the accused, in Glasgow, for bigamy in connection with this form of marriage. Gillies pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sen* tcnce. Renewal of his bail was refused.