DIVORCE CASES BEFORE COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 30 March 1931, Page 7

DIVORCE CASES BEFORE COURT.

ARGUMENT ARISES OVER ACCESS TO CHILDREN. A decree absolute was granted by Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court to-day in each of the following divorce cases: Stanley George Harwood (Mr Sargent) v. Maud Frances Isabelle Harwood (Mr Bowie), petitioner to be granted custody of the two children. John Thomas Birch (Mr Thomas) v. Zena Birch (Mr Sargent), petitioner to be given custody of two children and respondent of one. Access to Children. On behalf of Dorothy Gertrude Sutton, Mr Thomas moved for a decree absolute dissolving her marriage to Walter Amsley Sutton. Petitioner asked for custody of the two infant children (twins) of the marriage, and for permanent maintenance for herself and the children. The petitioner objected to the .respondent’s having access to the children. In the Lower Court an order had been made in favour of the petitioner for maintenance and separation. She had refused the respondent access to the children because of his habits and treatment of them. Mr Lawry held that unless access was given he would not enforce the maintenance order, and because of that the petitioner had been maintaining her children for three years in order to keep the husband away. At one stage the children were almost starving, but the petitioner felt that it was her duty as a mother to keep the respondent away. Mr Twyneham, who appeared for respondent, pointed out that the Magistrate, having heard only the wife’s story, - still would not access to the husband. The husband was very fond of the children, and had not seen them for over two years. There was no reason why the payment of maintenance should not be made dependent on the granting of access. His Honor said he would take time to consider what order he would make.