A man who was found guilty of committing bigamy was yesterday fined for the offence.
Michael Taylor of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, was arraigned before Magistrate Rondel Weever at the George-town Magistrate’s Court where he was fined $100,000 or in default, 12 months behind bars.
Magistrate Weever, at a previous hearing, ruled that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to the court supporting that the man was guilty of the crime.
Taylor was initially charged in May 2020, before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. He had denied the charge and was placed on $50,000 bail. The charge was filed under the Section 83(1) of Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which stipulates, “Everyone, who being married, marries any other person during the life of the former husband or wife, whether the marriage takes place in Guyana or elsewhere, shall be guilty of a felony and liable to a term of imprisonment for seven years.”
His attorney, told the court that Taylor had no knowledge of the crime as he was unaware that he was still married to his first wife because she promised to divorce him before he moved out of their marital home.
It was reported that Taylor’s first wife found out about his other marriage in February 2019 and thereafter, she notified the General Register Office. The woman reportedly stated that Taylor left the home they shared at Timehri and moved in with his girlfriend at Soesdyke before she was told by a friend that her husband had a big wedding.
