MAINTENANCE ORDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 158, 9 July 1935, Page 8

MAINTENANCE ORDER

WIFE'S EVIDENCE OF CRUELTY CHURCH WORKER IN COURT ( Per Press Association. ) CHRISTCHURCH, July 8. A Sunday School teacher and church worker had a maintenance, guardianship and separation order made against him in favour of his wife in the Magistrate’s Court this morning. Mr. Levvey presided. Plaintiff was Selina Joyce Bernstein, who sought orders against Bendict E. Bernstein, of New Brighton, on the grounds of cruelty and failure to maintain. Mrs. Bernstein said in evidence that she was at present staying wit'i an aunt. On May 30 she and her bus band were at home. He came from a Sunday school teachers’ meeting and found her sitting in front of a fire with her 11-months-old baby on her knee. He told her to put the bay to bed, but she said that the child should stay up for a while. Her husband put the fire out and subsequently tore her dress off. On May 6, she continued, her husband broke a bone in her hand by striking it with his first. She had to get medical attention. On another occasion he smashed the hood of a pram, and used to lock her in the house so that she could not go out. He would come home in a bad temper, and if she would not quarrel with him he would throw a cup of tea or something else at her. Bernstein told the Court that his wife had done her best to provoke his templr. She knew that he had a temper, and whenever his temper was rising she never tried to curb him. Since his marriage things had been different from what he had expected, and he had wondered why. Asked whether he was a God-fearing man, Bernstein replied that he took an interest in church work and was a Sunday School teacher.

•‘You are old enough to be able to control your temper,” said the magistrate in fixing inaintei ance at 15s a week and granting separation and guardianship orders. ‘‘lf there is any more of this nonsense, I might have to exercise my penal powers.”