Perth man sentenced for bigamy after marrying two women
A Perth man has faced charges over the unusual offence of bigamy after he admitted to having two wives.
A man from Perth has been charged with the unusual offence of bigamy after he admitted to marrying a woman while still legally wed to his first wife.
Gary Henry White was fined $3,000 on Friday for the crime, which a Perth magistrate described as “very serious”, according to the ABC.
The court was told that the 48-year-old married his first wife back in 2015 in Canada, but they separated three years later.
Then in mid-2020, White married his second wife in Broome, WA, but he did not tell her about his first marriage.
He also signed a “notice of intention of marriage” declaring that he had never been validly married before.
White was originally facing two other charges of “giving a defective notice” but Commonwealth prosecutors discontinued these on Friday after he admitted to the bigamy offence.
He was represented in court by former federal Attorney-General Christian Porter, who said his client had accepted his wrongdoing and the harm he had caused to both women.
Mr Porter also highlighted what he described as the “significant gap in time” between the two marriages, adding that his client was very remorseful and contrite for the harm and embarrassment he had caused.
He added that the crime had not involved any infidelity or cheating, describing “at the very best” as White being “wilfully blind” about his marital status.
Mr Porter also said that his client had “paid a very high price” for his crime, telling the court that the publicity about the matter had a “very destructive impact” on his relationship with his partner.
“It has had an effect on him of considerable detriment on his professional and personal life,” Mr Porter said, according to quotes obtained by the ABC in court.
He reportedly urged Magistrate Crawford not to record a conviction against his client, but she rejected that argument.
“This type of offending is considered extremely serious in our culture, and as an adult, mature man … you committed that offence,” she said, as reported by the ABC.
“There is no doubt that this would have had a significant impact on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of the women.”
Despite this, Magistrate Crawford took into account that Mr White had pleaded guilty at an early opportunity and had co-operated with police after being charged.
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She added that the two women involved in the case had been spared from having to give evidence at a trial.
“A fine is the most appropriate penalty in order that it be understood generally in the community that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable,” Magistrate Crawford said.
White reportedly made no comment as he left court and was also ordered to pay $137 in court costs.