FAKED DIVORCE ALLEGED

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5287, 27 December 1946, Page 6

FAKED DIVORCE ALLEGED

(Press Assn.-

PAINTER ARRAIGNED CASHED CHEQUES TO RE-BUY WIFE

—By Telegraph — Copyright.)

AUCKLAND, Last Night. Mention of an alleged faked divorce was made by Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Police Court this morning when he sentenced Thomas Curwen Newton (34), a painter, on eight charges of. obtaining clothing wdrth £2(y 17s and sums of money ranging from £7 to £50, totalling £140 17s, by means of valueless cheques, between November 1 and 7. Newton admitted all the charges when he appeared last Monday. A'fter hearing the facts disclosed -by the police, the magistrate remanded 'Newton until to-day for sentence so that a full report could' be obtained by the Probation Officer. "It is one of the most extraordinary cases I've heard," said Mr. Luxford, in remanding the prisoner. "There may -be something , behind it all. Then again it may be just false pretences." Signed Admission

"I have given your case a great deal of consideration since you appeared before me on Monday," said the magistrate. "You told me the offences were committed as a result of idepression and stress caused by your wife divorcing you. There were a number of other circumstances in yo-ur case that made it most unusual. The probation officer obtained from you the startling information that your divorce was a faked divorce — that you signed an admission of adultery so that your wife could get a quick divorce — and that your wife intended that if she could secure a certain sum of money she would- remarry you. You suggested you went on this escapade of cashing valueless cheques so that you could get money to gamble and obtain a sum of money sufficient to bring your wife back to you. "I instructed the probation officer to get in touch with the registrar of the S-upreme Court to obtain the notes of evidence in the divorce case. There is nothing in fchose notes to indicate an admission of adultery. The evidence indicated that your wife and an inquiry agent went to a local hotel and found- you and a woman. They went through the woman's clothing and effects, but could not find her name — which is not unusual in these cases. "'I am having a report sent to the Solicitor-General for the purpose of "investigating your allegation that this was a faked divorce. "Now, about the offences you committed," continued the magistrate. "You seemed to impress everyone of your honesty and you even got a bank manager to give you an overdraft. Then you started on this rampage of cashing valueless cheques obtaining goods and money totalling £140, all within a week. It is true that yo-u a're appearing before me as a first offender, but according to your story you did the same thing a year a_go, when you say you obtained £90, but managed to raise the money from relatives and pay up. I am quite satisfied that you are just a plain false pretences man. Probation is quite out of the question." On one of the charges Newton was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and on another to three months, the terms to be cumulative — a total of nine months.