50-year-old clerk Richard Shortas Fleming Lackey pleaded guilty to bigamously marrying Ryde woman Lilian Mabel Unwin at Hants Assizes in Winchester on 5th July 1923.
The amorous Mr Lackey had form for this particular offence: this was the 2nd time he had been convicted of bigamy.
The prosecution stated that Lackey had taken apartments at Mrs Unwin’s house, claiming to be a doctor, a man of independent means and a bachelor.
The accused had apparently been a kept man, with Mrs Unwin providing him with money, food and clothes. The pair were wed in December 1922.
When arrested, Lackey told the police his former spouse(s) were deceased.
In his defence, Lackey had told the judge he had had a “terribly hard life”. He offerred to make recompense.
The judge was not impressed by Lackey’s actions and excuses. He observed that this was the 2nd time Lackey had been found guilty of bigamy. He was convinced he had married the Ryde woman for what he could get out of her.
In the judge’s opinion, Lackey was a thorough paced rogue, and he was sentenced to a term of hard labour for 12 calendar months.
Source: Isle of Wight Times, 12th July 1923
I had no idea Groucho Marx used to live on the island and even more shocked to find he was a bigamist. No wonder he used to say that: “Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife”.
What a great pity that we never had judges like that now, along with such sentences.
For now, even if the courts distrust the excuses given, as our jails are filled with the worlds worst as well as our own, never again will there ever be meaningful sentences given to the ‘unsurprisingly’ growing amount of criminals, who know they are safe from being jailed.
See the real reason why crimes go so unpunished now.
Amen Gerard, the so called ‘cheap labour’ has come at a massive, growing and never worth it, cost to us in so many ways imo, and all other honest peoples too.
Ruination of the UK
Clever!
In a film, Groucho was told by his new Wife that “This is bigamous!” he replied, ” That’s big of me too!”
I would have thought that the worst punishment for bigamy would be having two mother-in-laws
Looking at the picture he was a bit of a ‘Shortas’
Glutton for punishment, two wives, two mother in laws.
One of either is more than enough!
If a man marries once it’s a mystery. If he marries twice it’s bigamistry!