Female bigamist to know fate Wednesday

Couva resident Lynette Phillip, who admitted to marrying without divorcing her first husband seven years ago,  will know her fate next Wednesday. Yesterday Phillip, 55, was expected to be sentenced in the San Fernando Second Assizes after pleading guilty to committing bigamy. However Justice Geoffery Henderson presiding over the matter in the San Fernando Second Assizes, said he could not pass sentence without the benefit of a Probation Officer’s report. Henderson said he ordered a PO report in the matter but it was not ready and he could not proceed without it. “The court always wants to have a Probation Officer’s report before it considers sentence to get a full picture,” he said.

 

Henderson added that given the nature of the offence and the offender he would be able to arrive at a proper sentence with a PO report. Phillip’s attorney, Kern Edwards, said his client went to the Probation Services office on July 4. Henderson advised her to return to the office yesterday to “get the ball rolling.” The charge laid against Phillip is that on November 7, 1995 she 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 Leroy 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 Couva Warden’s Office. Some time later, 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. 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. She is on $25,000 bail.