A 36-year-old man was on Thursday slapped with a fine of $100,000, with a default sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment, after he was found guilty of ‘marrying’ for a second time although he was still married to his first wife.
Michael Taylor, an airport ramp attendant of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where the sentence was handed down by the presiding Magistrate, Rondell Weever.
Taylor, a father of two, had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that he committed bigamy, and was released on $50,000 bail. However, his bail was later revoked after the evidence put forward by the prosecution proved that he was indeed guilty of the offence.
As a result, Taylor was remanded to prison, pending sentencing for the charge.
Based on reports received, the man’s first wife had made a call to the Police after discovering that her husband had gotten ‘married’ to another woman in February 2020 despite the fact that they were still married.
Taylor and his first wife tied the knot in August 2015.
The couple separated in November 2019, which saw Taylor moving out of the marital home and going to live with another woman. The man’s first wife claimed that she has had no contact with Taylor since then.
The 32-year-old woman after receiving news that her husband had remarried, went to the Registrar’s Office at the Guyana Post Office Corporation and sought advice. There, she was told that he had committed a crime and the Police were contacted.
At the time, Taylor and his first wife were also engaged in a court case over his failure to financially support his children.