MAINTENANCE CASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3038, 20 May 1926, Page 1

MAINTENANCE CASE.

EX-CONSTABLE BEFORE THE COURT.

On the grounds of alleged habitual inebriety and failure to maintain, Ann O’Reilly (Mr. H. R. Cooper) proceeded against her husband, ex-Constable Michael Daniel O’Reilly (Mr. A. M. Ongley) in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court on Monday, when she sought separation, maintenance and guardianship of her three child/en. Mr. Cooper said the parties were married in March, 1919, there being three children. After three years defendant commenced to drink, and was now an habitual inebriate. He had started to play football and used to come home drunk after every match; in addition, he came home two or three times a week the worse for liquor, and on occasions had difficulty .in getting to his work at the watch house at the police station. Defendant had then drifted into the habit of gambling, and had mortgaged the household furniture unknown to his wife. He used regularly to give his wife his wages and get some of the money back for his own use. The evidence would show that defendant was almost always more or less drunk; that he had been warned several times, and that about two weeks ago he had been dismissed from the police force. There was another woman in the case, and before Mrs O’Reilly left home she saw her husband with her. The ease had been adjourned on the condition that defendant paid £3 a week, but as he had not done so, the proceedings had been again brought before the Court. Complainant, im evidence, said her husband used to come home drunk after every football match. She had burned his football clothes, and this had stopped his playing, but had not stopped his drinking. In May, 1925, defendant went to Foxton for a week-end with £0 or £7 in his pocket; he returned very drunk, and with’ no money. As a result he was brought before his superior officer and lined 10s. Coinplainaint then went on to describe numerous occasions on which her husband had stayed out all hours of the night and had come home drunk. He had, she said, often threatened to commit suicide; two years ago he. had gone out into the yard with a gun and had fired it off, and times without number he had threatened to cut his throat. Her husband never interfered with the children. She saw him take a girl from the Club Hotel to the Clarendon Hotel and witness made a scene; it was tne first time she had seen him with anybody else, and because of things she heard, she had lost her temper. On the day after she left home, she went to the house at 9 a.m. to get some things; she could not open the door as there was a sewing machine against it. Her husband, however, let her in, and attempted to bully her. There was a girl with him, and in the bedroom was a small bottle of whiskey; cigarette butts were strewn all over the iloor. From the appearance of .the bed she judged that both had slept there. Her husband would not let her touch the girl. In the last two years, defendant had never come home sober from a race meeting unless she had been with him—'he always went to the races if he wanted to. She had never been afraid of her husband and could forgive his drinking, but she would not stand other women. To Mr. Ongley, complamamt admitted that on only one occasion had she received less than £-0 a month from her husband; that lie had been lined but once by Ins officers for being drunk, and that on only two occasions during their married life had he lost work because of drink. Mr. Ongley: He has never illtreated you 1 ? Complainant: On two occasions lie tried to strangle me; both were the result of his drinking. After complainant’s brother, Frank Lane, Mrs Grace Stewart, who on two occasions shared a house with the O’Reillys, and two other witnesses had given evidence as to defendant’s drinking habits, the Magistral Mr. J. L. Stout, adjourned the case.