Criminal Sessions Of Supreme Court Continued.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18546, 21 August 1928, Page 9

Criminal Sessions Of Supreme Court Continued.

CHARGE OF BIGAMY ADMITTED BY GEORGE CREASEY—REMANDED FOR SENTENCE.

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS of the Supreme Court were continued to-day, before Mr Justice Adams, and a jury of twelve.

Charge of E gamy. George Creasey, on charges of bigamy and of making a false declaration under the Marriage Act, pleaded guilty, and was remanded till Friday for sentence. Mr M’Lachlan appeared for accused, who was charged (1) that, having on March 26, 1919, married one Ellen Milet, in Dartford, County Kent, and being on January 5, 1928, then married did go through a form of marriage with one Alice Mabel Humphries ax the Methodist Church, Broadfields Canterbury, and did thereby commit bigamy, and (2) that on December 1, 1927, at Christchurch, he wilfully made a false declaration under the Marriage Act, 1908, by falsely stating that he was a widower. Escaped From Home. An echo of the escape of two girls from the Girls’ Home at Bur wood in January last was heard when Frederick James Fox Sullivan was charged that on January 28, 1928, at Brooklands, he unlawfully carnally knew a girl under the age of sixteen years. Mr Thomas appeared for accused, who pleaded not guilty. Mr Donnelly said that two girl; escaped from the home on January 8, and were away until January 29. They stayed at New Brighton for a while, and later occupied a bach at Brook lands. The bach was next to one used by the accused Sullivan and another young man named Rossiter. Mr Donnelly produced a statement made by accused, in which he said tha l, he was nineteen years of age and was employed at the Canterbury Freezing Works, Belfast. He usually spent his week-ends at the bach, to which the girls had come to ask for some dry tea

When they came to the bach again and asked for food, they told accused that they were on holiday from Auck land and were seventeen and nineteen years of age respectively. Accused added that one of the girls had taken the initiative and encouraged him. In cross-examination, one of the girls stated that she escaped from the horns again on February 15, and was then away for under a week. Addressing the jury, Mr Thomas said that the facts would not be denied, but accused believed at the time that the girl was over the age of sixteen. “If you have any doubt whatever about accused's guilt, it is your duty to acquit him. That is the rule which has been told to you so often that you must be sick of it. Nevertheless, it is the golden rule.” The jury retired at 11.5 a.m. and returned at 11.25 with a verdict of not guilty. Not Guilty. Ernest Crozier (Mr Thoma pleaded not guilty to a charge of carnal knowledge of one of the girls concerned in the previous case. The offence was alleged to have taken place on February 17. The defence was that the stories of the two girls who ran away from the home on the second occasion did not correspond in essential details. After a retirement of about a quarter of an hour, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, a verdict with which the Judge said he entirely agreed. The Crown Prosecutor said that, in view of the girls’ stories not coinciding, he would consider whether the other charges would be proceeded with. The Court adjourned till 10.15 a.m. to-morrow.