Bigamist is sentenced for forging his divorce

A bigamist who told his wife he was working in the Far East when he had secretly wed a younger woman and set up home two miles away was today ordered to carry out 140 hours community service.

Company director Roy Jackson, 59, told wife Janet he was starting a business in Malaysia but instead went to live with new wife Pamela Churchill, 45, in West Bromwich. To keep up the pretence, Jackson telephoned his wife of 37 years up to three times a day.

Today he was sentenced at Dudley Crown Court for forging a divorce document.

The first Mrs Jackson, 61, knew of the deception was when a relative said they saw her husband in a car with another woman.

The businessman was able to talk his way out of trouble - but the fraud was finally exposed when Janet was tipped off a second time and called police.