Alleged Porirua bigamist fit to stand trial, says lawyer, granted name suppression

The matter was called in the Porirua District Court this afternoon. Photo / File

An accused bigamist is fit to stand trial, his lawyer says.

The Porirua man, 48, was granted interim name suppression in the Porirua District Court at an earlier appearance in November, for reasons that were also suppressed.

He appeared in court today where name suppression was supposed to be argued fully, but the argument was put off for a third time to give further time for evidence to be gathered in support of suppression.

The argument will focus on possible risk of suicide to the defendant, and hardship to his daughter in the form of schoolyard bullying.

He has previously pleaded not guilty to charges of bigamy and obtaining by deception.

The complainant also has interim name suppression.

The man's lawyer today said two psychiatric reports had now been completed, and his client was considered fit to stand trial.

However he had not yet been able to discuss pleas with him.

The man was remanded to appear again in court in March where he will enter pleas, and name suppression will be argued.

According to Rainey Collins Lawyers, bigamy carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, and is an offence because it is considered to represent a threat to public morality and to compromise the institution of marriage.

"When a person who is already married marries another person, both parties to the second marriage are committing a crime, irrespective of where in the world the second marriage took place," they said in a post on their website.

"The only defence to the crime of bigamy is if the first spouse has been absent for seven years, and is believed to be dead."