ONE HOUR’S IMPRISONMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23046, 24 November 1936, Page 10

ONE HOUR’S IMPRISONMENT

RECORD SHORT SENTENCE SEAMAN GUILTY OF BIGAMY (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND. Nov. 23. Probably the shortest sentence ever imposed on a man for bigamy was that “ served ” by James Robert Saunders, a seaman on H.M.S. Leith, who appeared for sentence before Mr Justice Fair in the Supreme Court this morning, and was detained until the rising of the court. An hour later ho was free. The evidence in the lower court showed that Saunders, aged 25, was married in a London registry office in May, 1933, to Joan Davis, and went through the form of marriage at Auckland in April, 1935. with Lorraine Yvonne Archer For the accused, Mr Noble said he was inveigled into the marriage in England by a certain statement by his wife. They immediately agreed to separate, and his wife went her way and ho his. Apparently he thought he was justified in marrying again. He was a respectable young man with a good record in the navy. His Honor pointed out that a bigamous marriage always did injury to the woman who was tucked into marriage only to find sue was not married at all. Bigamy was always a serious crime. Each case, however, should always be dealt with according to the circumstances. It appeai'ed that the woman whom he married at Auckland did not wi.nr him punished, and he. thought he was justified in treating the case as an exceptional one.