PETITION DISMISSED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 36

PETITION DISMISSED.

AUCKLAND DIVORCE CASE. AUCKLAND, May 1. “ The facts have established that the separation has been brought about by the wrongful conduct of the petitioner himself, and that being so it seems to me that the petition should be dismissed,” said Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court to-day when giving his decis 1 ’ m in an action in which William George Bright, a racehorse owner, formerly of Westport, petitioned for divorce from his wife, Mana Catherine Bright, on the ground of mutual separation. The respondent, who opposed the petition, alleged wrongful conduct on the part of her husband. Tne case was adjourned till to-day, when it’ was intended to hear legal argument. When the court assembled for this purpose his Honor said the case really decided itself on the facts, and there was no necessity to bother counsel with arguing the law. It seemed to his Honor that the weakness in the petitioner’s case was that the wife had established to his satisfaction that if there was a separation it had been brought about by the misconduct of the husband. The latter had gradually weaned his way from the household, and later had adopted a domineering and dictatorial attitude.