PECULIAR BIGAMY CASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1966, 17 April 1919, Page 4

PECULIAR BIGAMY CASE.

When Kate Winstanley and Harry Blandford, guilty of bigamy, were called at the Wellington Supreme Court on Saturday for sentence, their counsel, Air H. F. O’Leary, admitted that his clients had shown no great respeet for the marriage tie, but pleaded that there were circumstances which called for special consideration. Each party had known the exact position, and had know that the marriage was not a legal one. Airs. Wins tanley had really undertaken to go through the form of marriage with Blandford only on the latter’s most earnest entreaties and because he was seriously ill and needed some, one to care for him. Blandford at that time had been single, but later on, being told that his marriage with Airs A\ in,Stanley was no marriage, had married another woman. Air O’Leary added that the reports showed that Airs W instanley was a hard-working woman, and that, although she had continued to receive Winstan ley’s allotment from the front, she had not used it for Bland- '

ford, but solely for her real husband’s benefit. .

The Chief Justice, .quoting from the Probation Officer’s report, f®aid Blandford had been the means of saving life at Foxton at personal risk, and on another occasion had saved two or three lives during- a Arc. Blandford, however, was now crippled, as the result of war service, could not do ordinary hard work, and unfortunately was a, drunkard. In the present case it had to be considered that Blandford had deceived no one. In the circumstances he had decided to admit the man to probation, on condition that he reported to the Probation Officer once every two months during the next three years, that he took out a prohibition order, and went on to the farm of a friend in the Nelson district. Airs AVinstanley would be placed on probation for twelve months, on the usual conditions, for it was clear she had married the man out of kindness. The Chief Justice concluded by saying that, the leniency shown was not lx. be taken as a precedent. Just as sentence was passed on her, Airs Winstanley collapsed heavily to the Hour of the Court, and had to be carried out.