BIGAMOUS MARRIAGE

Southland Times, Issue 24870, 9 October 1942, Page 4

BIGAMOUS MARRIAGE

Naval Steward Imprisoned (P.A.) AUCKLAND, October 8. “I draw the inference that they went through a form of marriage to enable her to obtain a wife’s allowance from the Navy and that he also allowed her to draw her husband’s Army allotment,” said Mr Justice Fair when Donald Edgar Alexander Fraser, naval ship’s steward, aged 24, and Mrs Lesley Joyce Mitchell, aged 18, came up for sentence as parties to a bigamous marriage. His Honour said they met on a train when Mrs Mitchell, who was married a month or two previously, was travelling to join her husband in a camp near Wellington. Fraser knew this and persuaded her, and no doubt she was not unwilling, to go to Auckland instead, where they lived as man and wife. He went through a form of marriage with her in April last. The least sentence the Court could impose on Fraser was 12 months’ imprisonment, said his Honour. Mrs Mitchell’s conduct reflected no credit on her judgment or character, but in view of her youth, as well as her condition, she would be admitted to probation for three years conditionally on her place of residence being under supervision. She might live with her parents or Fraser’s parents provided her conduct was satisfactory, and there would be no objection by the Court to her marriage and living with Fraser in due course.