A WIFE’S CRUELTY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19803, 19 May 1934, Page 18

A WIFE’S CRUELTY

HUSBAND OBTAINS SEPARATION UNUSUAL COURT CASE By Telegraph—Pies- Association AUCKLAND. May 18. An unusual case, an application for , a judical separation by a husband on | the ground of his wife's alleged cruelty, , came before Mr Justice Herdman m , the Supreme Court. The petitioner ’ was Dr Neil McDougall, who was married to the respondent, Minnie Evelyn ; McDougall. in 1923. The petition2r | alleged that during the 10 years from 1923 to 1933 the respondent had habit - I ually used abusive. offensive and | threatening language to him, and on ; several occasions struck him with her J fist. Counsel said that a similar petition j had been brought in June. 1929, but it had been abandoned on the wife giving j a solemn undertaking to his Honour i not to molest the petitioner and not to j endeavour to communicate with him I except through a solicitor. The petij tioner was a very well-known and highly respected medical practitioner • who had long held a prominent pos:I tion in the medical world. After the i separation the petitioner made his wife an allowance of £6 a week. I Dr McDougall said that his wife I was suspicious of every woman patient. She was of ungovernable temper and j demanded a divorce because his littie son did not get into bed the moment she told him to. “Many times I have walked the streets at night to get a little peace.” said witness Witness said that he appointed a highly qualified nurse with his wife’s approval, but his wife very soon took exception to her and made a terrible scene, demanding her dismissal. She quarrelled with the nurse and chased her out of j the house. He described several occasions on which his wife had struck him. In July. 1925. she took a suitcase and smashed the leadlight of his consult- ; ing room. She struck him on the head ; with a shoehorn and kicked him, and j next morning dug her nails into his wrist and drew blood, he was certainly in fear of bodily injury. , Witness said that his wife would have fits of using the telephone to abuse him six or seven times during ,an afternoon. She had injured his aged mother and had been exceedingly cruel to her. Witness detailed numerous incidents of interference and persecution by his wife. She followed , him into church to make accusations against him. Last October his wife visited a house at Remucra where he was attending to patients. When refused admission she climbed a ladder and smashed a window with iier urn- ■ brella. She smashed other windows before leaving, and his son had to stay j in the house for some nights to afford ' protection. Neil Norman McDougall. son of the petitioner, gave corroborative evi- : dence. Describing the scene at the Remuera house, he said plants had been torn up and thrown cn the path and verandah. His Honour said it looked as if there had been continuous persecution. The wife had persisted in making the man s life unbearable entirely without jus- ! tification. He could draw the inference that petitioner's health had been affected and undermined by the ‘ woman’s acts of misconduct. He' would therefore make a decree fer a judicial