Wife Desertion

Clement Stanhope, trammer, Denaby, was brought up charged with non-payment of arrears under a maintenance order made against him on his wife’s application on January 23rd.

He was then ordered to pay 10s. a week for his wife’s maintenance, and on refusing was, a month later, committed to prison for a month. He had since then refused to pay the arrears, and had in fact not paid a penny under the order.

The Rev. R. P. Roseveare said that since the defendant’s release from prison he had been very ill and had not been able to earn anything.

The Chairman: Would you pay if you had the chance to go back to work and earn something?

The Defendant: I shall not pay anything, sir.

The Rev. R. P. Roseveare said he believed the man would pay the money eventually, but the Chairman said the bench could not go behind the defendant’s own refusal, and he was again committed to prison for a month.