County bigamist ‘left my life in ruins’
Thursday 13th May 2010, 1:00PM BST.
THE AMERICAN wife of a Shropshire bigamist today said he had left her and their son’s lives in tatters – even taking the teenager’s life savings from his bedroom before jetting back to the UK.
Margaret Peters said her son was so traumatised by James Fletcher leaving that he needed constant reassurance that she was not also going to leave.
Fletcher, 51, was yesterday sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for a year, after he admitted marrying Mrs Peters while still married to British wife Sarah Whalley.
The love cheat, of Moreton Crescent, Shrewsbury, who has since gone on to marry another woman legally and will become a father again in August, was also given a 12-month supervision order at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
But Miss Peters said she believed Fletcher should have been jailed after leaving her and their adopted son Joseph, then aged eight, in 2008 with a mountain of debt.
She said: “Not only did I lose my life insurance, but also my retirement, and an annuity we had for our son that would have been worth 35,000 dollars (£23,434) when Joe turned 18.
“There was also 500 dollars (£334) gone from my son’s bedroom after he left. It was Joe’s life savings. I had 100 dollars (£66.96) to put toward the next month’s rent and he took that as well.”
She added: “He needs constant reassurance that I am not going to leave him as well.”
The court heard Fletcher married Ms Whalley in 1984 but walked out on her in 1996 to go to the States. The same year he married Ms Peters in Geneva, New York, without divorcing Ms Whalley.
Mrs Joanne Griffiths, for Fletcher, said he had failed to face up to his responsibilities but had not gone out to deceive the women.
By Russell Roberts
UK News
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
does this realy deserve another article?,
i’m sure theres more pressing news that can be shared than this.
Report abuse
I would be interested to know which of these unfortunate women put Mr Fletcher on crutches. Ouch!
Report abuse
this man looks like such a snake, what sort of a person does that to another human being let alone a child! he should be ashamed of himself! His new wife should be worried and hide her money from him, probaly leave her next with another child needing “constant reasurance that she will not leave”!
Report abuse
This scondrel, as described in court has ruined a huge number of lives, 2 children, 3 wives (so far) and free to do the same to another child? He deserved a harsher sentence for sure.
Report abuse