DIVORCE GRANTED.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1925, Page 9

DIVORCE GRANTED.

PETITION BY HUSBAND. COLLUSION DEFENCE FAILS. A erdicts in favour of the petitioner were given by the jury in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday in the petition for divorce of Thomas Richard Waite, sharemilker, against his wife, Ethel Joyce Waite. The petitioner alleged misconduct between his wife and Frederick William Waddell, farm manager, of Tongjiporutu, who was cited as co-respondent. The respondent did not defend the suit but the co-respondent did. In Support of her husband s petition the respondent « ent into the box and gave evidence alleging frequent intimacy over a number of years. For the co-respondent, collusion between the petitioner and respondent was alleged. Mr. Justice Alpera was on the bench, Mr. P. O’Dea appeared for the petitioner, Mr. J. H. Sheaf for the respondent, and Mr. L. M. Moss for the co-respondent, while Mr. A. E Wigley was foreman of the jury. Yesterday morning’s hearing’ was devoted to the addresses of counsel and the summing up of the judge, who put to the jury three issues.- fl) Did the respondent commit adultery with the corespondent? (?) Did the co-respondent commit adultery with the respondent? (3) Was there collusion between the petitioner and co-respondent? The jury retired at 12.30 and returned at 3.20 with answers of “Yes” to the first two questions and “No” to the third. A decree nisi, which may be made absolute in three months, was granted the petitioner with costs on the higher scale against the co-respondent. An extra day at £l5 15s was allowed.