MAN’S SUBTERFUGE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19125, 21 September 1936, Page 10

MAN’S SUBTERFUGE

TO DECEIVE WIFE SEQUEL IN COURT MELBOURNE, Sept. 7. The, story of how Peter Collier, 41, metal-turner, of Footscray, deceived his wife with unpleasant- consequences was told before. Judge Foster in General Sessions to-day. Collier pleaded guilty to a charge of having caused a public mischief by misleading certain members of the police force. Mr. Goldberg, who appeared for Collier. said (bat he earned £4 8s a week as a metal-turner. Every penny was handed to his wife. It was "his practice to ride to work on bis bicycle, but when the weather became very cold and wet- Collier asked his wife repeatedly for enough money to pay his fares by train, but she refused. One very cold and wet morning Collier, on being again refused, went to a dealer and sold the bicycle for 3Ss. Oil his return, fearing that his wife would demand the proceeds, he told her that the machine had been stolen. She insisted that, he should report the matter to the police. He did so. After two days lie notified the police that the bicvcle had been recovered.

“1 submit,” raid Mr. Goldberg, “that this offence was more an indiscretion than a crime, and should be dealt with accordingly. I asked him .why, when bis wife told him to report the supposed theft to the j'olice, he had not waited round the corner for a while and then returned as though he had carried outlier instructions, but, he replied : ‘No fear. The wife works as a charlady at the notice station, and she finds out every thing.” Judao Fester ordered Collier to pay a fine of £5.