A man in Canada has helpfully provided a lesson in what not to do when locked in a bitter divorce.
Bruce McConville, Ottawa, Ontario, has been fighting his soon-to-be ex-wife on spousal and child support for a while now. In a recent court hearing, McConville told the judge that he had liquidated some business and real estate assets and then burned the money. A total of $1 million. He allegedly did this over two bonfires, one in September and the second in December. This was in defiance of a court order to disclose is finances and a second order to not sale the properties to begin with.
Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips was not amused.
“You are making a mockery of this court, and its process, something I will not allow … You are conducting yourself with intent to deliberately and willfully frustrate the proper administration of justice,” Phillips said as reported by the Ottawa Citizen. “More particularly, I find what you have done to be morally reprehensible because what you claim to have done willfully and directly undermines the interests of your children.”
After questioning, McConville admitted he had no proof he had burned the money and Phillips sentenced McConville to 30 days in jail and mandated that he pay $2,000-per-day to his ex-wife. Additionally, McConville could still be held accountable for future spousal and child support.
