Imprisonment Term For Naval Bigamist

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 689, 14 June 1929, Page 1

Imprisonment Term For Naval Bigamist

“GREATEST DECEPTION” TWO YEARS’ HARD LABOUR “You have committed the greatest deception that can be practised on a woman.” Thus Mr. Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court today in sentencing Wilfred Minty, petty-officer stoker of H.M.S. Veronica, to two years' hard labour for bigamy. The attitude the naval authorities would adopt toward Minty was explained to the court by Mr. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor. Minty was almost due to be returned to England, said counsel. If he was now sentenced to imprisonment, at the end of the term he would be brought before the naval authorities for a breach of regulations by bringing discredit on the uniform. At most Minty would only be deprived of a good conduct medal or suffer some disrating with commensurate reduction in wages. At the expiration of his term in gaol Minty could return to the Navy and serve the balance of his term. “The crime to which you have pleaded guilty strikes at the very basis of the institution of marriage, which is jealously guarded in this and all other civilised countries,” remarked his Honour, addressing the prisoner. “Every bigamist impeaches the security and sanctity of marriage. You have been married for a number of years and you knew full well that you could not fulfil the obligations, the assumption of which the marriage contract involves. You have a wife and five children in England, with whom you parted as recently as 1926. It appears that you have a reputation for ability and good character in the Navy, but the crime of bigamy is serious, whether it is committed by a person of good character or not. “Your counsel has stated that the young woman has freely forgiven you, but that merely indicates the measure of the wrong you have done her by creating an affection that you were unable to sustain. “The sentence of the court is that you be imprisoned with hard labour for two years.”