MUCH MARRIED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 170, 21 July 1942, Page 6

MUCH MARRIED

BIGAMY BY MAORI

"The defence set up that he thought he was entitled to marry again was rejected by the jury, and very properly rejected," said Mr. Justice Fair in sentencing Frederick James Ross, a Maori half-caste, aged 32 years, for the offence of bigamy, of which a jury had found him guilty.

The statement was in reply to a plea by Mr. Noble for leniency on the ground that it was not a case for more than nominal punishment. His Honor said that not only was the prisoner's explanation not believed, but another statement by him as to his action had been disproved by the dates of the marriage and that of the birth of a child. Ross had a bad record. He had convictions for previous offences. He also had had the misfortune to be committed for two years to a mental institution. In 1939 he enlisted in the armed forces and went overseas. The report of a responsible officer was that his army conduct was bad during four months in England and included a bigamous marriage there. He was returned home under escort. His conduct may have been partly due to mental weakness, but the least sentence that could be imposed was one of imprisonment for nine months with hard labour.