HER ESCAPADE

NZ Truth, Issue 1180, 12 July 1928, Page 11

HER ESCAPADE

. • ■■„ ■ • — ♦- — - Married^ Man s Affair With Flapper (From "N.Z. Truth's" South Auckland Hep.) ' James Corrin is a married man, but by no means a faithful husband- . He is now serving a ierm ' of bne'month m Auckland gaol as a result of his infidelity, not for that reason solely, but because the girl with whom he committed his unfaithful act v^as only: 14 years of ■ age. „ ' ■''- •■ W7HERB Corrin actually, met the girl W was 'not stated.Ybut apparently at some period of their acquaintance he offered her a' job m his home at ten shillings a week. "' : She replied that she could earn twenty-sei'en shillings elsewhere. One night just before the Te Aroha races, the couple booked m at one of the boarding establishments at Frankton as man and wife. -r According to the • police evidence, they spent a somewhat hectic night v Next day they went on to Te Aroha races. ' : . . When Corrin pleaded guilty m . the Hamilton Supreme Court last week to a grave offence against a girl under the age of consent, his . legal representative, Lawyer J.- F. Strang, expressed the opinion that under the very special circumstances of the case, a jury would not have convicted accused, despite ' the. fact that he had little or no , .defence to the charge. : - He had, decided to plead guilty, however, to save the country the expense; of a trial and to avoid exposing the girl to further shame. While, said 'counsel, thel.girl looked far older than fourteen and had actually told accused that she was eighteen, she was also a girl of very loose character. She had Intimated to. Corrin that she had experienced illicit relations with other men; she v " had also run away from home and refused to return. •' • While Corrin*s deviation from the; path of moral rectitude might be inexcusable, he yet had no idea that he. was committing . an illegal offence when he spent the night with this & irl - .; - : : . :■■■.'• ' ."■: CORRIN'S CONFESSION The fact that. she' had allowed herself to be introduced to the premises. at.Frankton as his wife, and that she afterwards— until they left— acted with all the' assurance of a woman of the : world; was certainly some evidence as to looseness of character. ' She had also given Corrin a false: name and Had deceived him In other 1 ways. '• . . ■ . . ■'• ■'.....'. Counsel mentioned further that Corrin, when spoken to • by. the 1 police, frankly admitted having committed, misconduct with the girl. . . In asking his honor to take these I circumstances into consideration, when imposing-, sentence, Lawyer Strang also asked the judge not to be unmindful of the fact that' this was net a case of the violation of an ■. innocent girl, the victim m this case being one who had already Jived an immoral life. ". V Addressing Corrin, jiis' honor : said he had given very earnest '„• consideration to the case and could appreciate the extenuating circum'- • stances connected with it. The difficulty was that the Jaw made an absolute prohibition concerning*', offences against girls under the age- of .consent; this was designed as much to protect willing, as; unwilling, victims. ■/ !■ - In the circumstances, however, his honor thought the ends of justice, would be met by sentencing Corrin to one month's imprisonment.