Couva woman pleads guilty to bigamy

A Couva woman has pleaded guilty to bigamy after admitting that she married a man without divorcing her first husband in 1995. Lynette Phillip, 55 will be sentenced after the law term opens in September. Justice Geoffery Henderson, who is hearing the matter in the San Fernando Second Assizes, said on Thursday, “This offence puzzles the court as to what will be behind this.”

The charge states that on November 7, 1995 Phillip married George Wildman during the lifetime of her husband Leroy Phillip. The court heard that Phillip’s second marriage occurred just a month after she broke off an 18-year marriage with her first husband. State attorney Angelica Teelucksingh said Phillip was married to Phillip on June 19, 1977 for 18 and a half years. Her maiden name was Arrindell.

She left her first husband in October 1995 and on November 1995 she married Wildman at the Warden’s Office in Couva. Sometime after, Wildman received information and went to the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain where he obtained a legal document pertaining to Phillip and her first husband Leroy.

Wildman also obtained a copy of his marriage certificate in which Phillip represented herself to be a spinster. Wildman subsequently contacted his wife’s first husband. Teelucksingh said it was only in 2000 that Phillip’s first husband was served to go to the High Court for divorce proceedings. The divorce was finalised on April 25, 2006.

Wildman reported the matter and Constable Anand Bissoon conducted investigations. He subsequently arrested and charged Phillip. On Thursday, the State tendered copies of the two marriage certificates and the divorce document. Phillip’s lawyer, Kern Edwards, reserved mitigation plea and requested a probation officer’s report.

Noting that her bail had expired since she pleaded guilty, the judge fixed new bail in the sum of $25,000. Pointing out that the report would take three weeks to complete and the court closes next week, the judge adjourned the matter to September 27.

This is the second time in a month that a person has pleaded guilty to a bigamy charge at the San Fernando Assizes. Last month Justice Anthony Carmona fined 43-year-old bigamist Dexter Alexander $5,000 and ordered him to pay $10,000 in compensation to his second wife Rhonda Forbes.