A girl has described how she came upon her husband had married another person after seeing photos of the marriage on-line.
Hayley Brown, 36, from Southport, married once-divorced Mark Rowlands, 47, in 2012 earlier than they break up years later – however they remained legally wed.
The mother-of-three was left surprised when a good friend despatched her pictures of Mark on his marriage ceremony day to Kerry Adams, which occurred at a Vacation Inn in June 2021.
She reported the wedding to the police and Rowlands pleaded responsible to bigamy at Chester Magistrates on the day of trial. He was fined £456 with £346 in prosecution prices and a sufferer surcharge.
In her first interview because the discovery, Hayley stated: ‘I really feel like Mark has obtained away with telling lies for much too lengthy. Now he may assume twice.’
Hayley Brown, 36, from Southport, has described how she came upon her husband Mark Rowlands had married another person after seeing photos of the marriage on-line
Rowland’s unlawful marriage ceremony was found by his second spouse over social media. Pictured is Kerry Adams, Rowland’s third spouse, on her marriage ceremony day
Hayley and Rowlands met in 2010 in Southport, after he had dated one among her mates.
She stated: ‘Mark was an actual charmer, he had the present of the gab. It was a whirlwind romance and we moved in collectively after a couple of month.’
She fell pregnant with their first little one in 2012 they usually had been married quickly after.
Hayley stated: ‘I had a giant white gown and all of the trimmings and it was an awesome day. I used to be head over heels in love.’
However after she fell pregnant with their second little one, eight-and-a-half years in the past, Hayley suspected he was dishonest.
She stated: ‘By now, I used to be realising Mark was not all the time truthful with me. I made a decision I could not take it any extra.’
Their son was born quickly after, however Rowlands didn’t come to the start and met him solely as soon as, briefly.
He misplaced contact with Hayley and their youngsters, aside from for upkeep funds.
Hayley says: ‘I struggled financially after Mark left. I had a toddler and a brand new child and plenty of money owed. I needed to transfer home and begin once more.
‘I did ask him for a divorce, however at the moment, I could not afford it.
‘I heard nothing extra. There was no solicitor letter, as he stated in court docket. That simply wasn’t true. I acquired nothing.’
Rowlands married his third spouse Kerry the day after Valentine’s Day 2020 – with the couple’s marriage certificates wrongly declaring his earlier marriage as ‘dissolved’.
Hayley came upon concerning the marriage ceremony in February 2020, when her good friend forwarded her a social media publish from the Vacation Inn lodge which contained a photograph of Rowlands’s marriage ceremony to Kerry
Hayley came upon concerning the marriage ceremony that very same month, when her good friend forwarded her a social media publish from the Vacation Inn lodge which contained a photograph of Rowlands’s marriage ceremony to Kerry.
She says: ‘My jaw hit the ground. He was nonetheless married to me. I could not consider it.
‘It felt humorous seeing him marry another person, however I used to be over him by now. Even so, I knew this was incorrect and I needed to report him.
‘The images had been on the lodge’s web page, not Mark’s web page, which confirmed he was in all probability making an attempt to maintain it quiet.’
‘I felt very torn about it, but it surely was unlawful and so I went to the police.’
After his bigamy was uncovered, the ‘anxious’ 47-year-old suffered a coronary heart assault via stress, Chester Magistrates’ Court docket later heard.
Hayley stated: ‘I reported Mark as a result of what he did was incorrect. It’s not a pleasant technique to deal with folks.’
Throughout the court docket case, it emerged Rowlands had divorced his first spouse in 2004, then married Hayley at a seaside lodge in 2012 earlier than they break up a number of years later.
Hayley stated her marriage ceremony was an awesome day and that she had ‘all of the trimmings’, including that she was ‘head over heels in love’. Pictured: In her marriage ceremony gown
Rowlands misplaced contact with Hayley (pictured) and their youngsters, aside from for upkeep funds
Hayley revealed: ‘I used to be at first informed I would want to provide proof, however Mark pleaded responsible simply earlier than the trial started, so I used to be in a position to go house.
‘The choose informed him to break up, so at the least now I’ll get what I need.
‘In court docket, he stated he’d instructed a agency of solicitors about our divorce, however I knew nothing about that.
‘I feel that’s simply one other one among his lies. He can not help himself.
‘Hopefully, now he has been publicly shamed, he’ll study his lesson.’
NHS employee Kerry, who can also be thought to have labored as a deputy supervisor in a care house, watched the case from the general public gallery to help her husband.
After his bigamy was uncovered, the ‘anxious’ 47-year-old suffered a coronary heart assault via stress and was hospitalised for twenty-four hours, Chester Magistrates’ Court docket heard. (Rowlands pictured outdoors the court docket)
NHS employee Kerry, who can also be thought to have labored as a deputy supervisor in a care house, watched the case from the general public gallery to help her husband. Pictured: each of them outdoors the court docket
Previously, bigamy was thought of such a severe offence in England that from 1604 a person or lady could possibly be sentenced to dying for the crime.
Since Offences Towards the Individual Act of 1861, nonetheless, the offence has been punishable by as much as seven years in jail and or a fantastic.
Based on studies, police figures from final yr present that there have been 599 circumstances of bigamy recorded throughout all police forces in England and Wales over the previous ten-year interval.
Nonetheless, within the 5 years up till final yr, solely 18 per cent of accomplished investigations led to alleged bigamists being taken to court docket and punished – the low price being defined by evidential points, victims unwilling to help a prosecution, or the person circumstances thought of as not being within the public curiosity.
