BIGAMY CHARGE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20107, 28 March 1928, Page 8

BIGAMY CHARGE

MAN PLEADS GUILTY AN EASY CONSCIENCE [ Per Press Associatron. j BLENHEIM, Alarch 26. Pleas of guilty on both charges were entered by Albert Berd, alias Harry Carr, aged 31, who was charged with, having committeid bigamy by going through a form of marriage at Tuamarina on January 26 last, when he was a person already married anrl. with having made a false declaration to the Registrar of Afarriages at Blenheim on January 23, when for tho purpose of obtaining a marriage certificate he described himself as a bachelor when he was in fact a married man.

The prosecution stated that both charges arose out of the same set of circumstances. In February 1925, the accused married a Alisa Bilderbeck ac Daunevirke. They lived together for three months and there was one child of the marriage. He was then known as Harry Carr. The accused came under the notice of the police in Blenheim in January last when he went through a form of marriage at Tuamarina, this time under the name of Albert Berd. The second “wife” died in hospital on Afarch 15, after a miscarriage.

Police evidence was to the effect that accused after his arrest said his second wife was of a very excitable nature which would lead to her coni' mitting suicide if he did not marry her. He decided he had better marry her to save her life.

The accused elected to give evidence. He said: “I plead guilty to the charge of bigamy under the circumstances. At the time 1 got married I thought that I was doing the right thing and even now my own conscience does not tell me I am guilty of doing wrong. That’s all I have to say.” Accused formally pleaded guilty fn both charges and was committed to the Supreme Court, at Wellington for sentence.