Two convicted over unlawful wedding

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Christchurch man Philip Ellis says he was "a bit upset" to hear a judge has ruled his 2006 wedding was conducted unlawfully and two men involved were convicted of offences under the Marriage Act.

Mr Ellis married Jeanette Hardey in a ceremony conducted by Geoffrey Robert Topham Hall, a 56-year-old funeral director, at the Kaiapoi Workingmen's Club on November 4, 2006. Miss Hardey has since died.

After a defended hearing in Christchurch District Court that has been heard in parts over several months, Judge Jane Farish today convicted the Rev Maurice Manawaroa Gray, a 54-year-old minister from Christchurch, on the charge of making a false declaration.

Hall was convicted of a false declaration charge and of falsely pretending to be a marriage celebrant.

The Department of Internal Affairs brought the prosecution, saying the marriage licence had been issued with Gray listed as the celebrant but Hall carried out the ceremony. Gray maintained he had overseen the nuptials and had been called away by an emergency, but had been outside at the time.

Mr Ellis said after the hearing that people should make sure that people officiating at their weddings were registered celebrants. He said their celebrant had told them he was not registered but he was able to carry out the wedding "under the umbrella of the church".

In her decision Judge Farish rejected evidence that Gray had been present at the ceremony, looking on from nearby, and that Hall had been operating under his guidance.

She said Gray would have been in view of the main participants in the wedding. The wedding video showed that Hall was not looking anywhere for guidance during the ceremony. He would have had to be looking over his right shoulder to see where Gray was meant to be standing.

Hall was not a registered celebrant but said he had mistakenly signed as a celebrant rather than as a witness on the papers given to the couple. Gray, who is a registered celebrant, had signed as though he had officiated at the ceremony on the copy that was sent to the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.

Internal Affairs also called evidence from other weddings in 2001 and 2004 where Hall conducted the ceremony and the witnesses believed Gray was not present, although he had signed the certificate.

Judge Farish remanded Gray and Hall at large for sentence on November 22. She ordered a victim impact statement be prepared from Mr Ellis, and asked for a report on the effect of the men's actions on the Anglican church.

- NZPA