This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, we look at how one man put in motion the most absurd drug smuggling plan that has yet to feature itself on this blog series. Then, we look at how one individual attempted to screw over his ex-wife with a retirement benefit claim. And finally, we revisit Florida where one man taught his child how to swim in a very unconventional swimming lesson.
Follow the jump and learn more about the weirdest and wackiest legal stories from around the world!
Sweeping it Under the Rug
You might say that some wig-wearers seem oblivious to their own appearance. If they could only see what the rest of us see, then maybe they would give up on the façade and embrace their baldness. Right?
A Colombian man might be wishing he checked himself in the mirror one more time after he was arrested at Barcelona airport with Police were alerted to the “considerably nervous” man and his preposterous wig which was of “disproportionate size”.
Officer found cocaine worth nearly $50,000 hidden on his scalp after he arrived on a flight from Bogota last month.
Neither “Crime against fashion” nor “Pompadourian deception” were among the charges.
You would think the term “irrevocable” is pretty, well, irrevocable. Meaning something that cannot be reversed or altered. Well the Supreme Court of Canada found it doesn’t always apply, especially when it comes to some pretty sneaky goings on in an insurance death benefit dispute.
Screwing the Ex-Wife
A Mr. Moore purchased a $250,000 life insurance policy while he was married to Ms. Moore. The policy named Ms. Moore as the sole beneficiary in the event Mr. Moore died.
The couple paid $507.50 every year into the policy until they separated and divorced in 2003 after 18 years of marriage. Shortly before the divorce, they made a verbal agreement that Ms. Moore would continue to make the annual insurance payments and in exchange she would remain the sole beneficiary. Again, didn’t write this down anywhere, it was a strictly verbal agreement.
Mr. Moore later moved in with a new partner, Ms. Sweet. He made Ms. Sweet the “irrevocable” beneficiary of the policy without telling his ex-wife about the change.
The ex-wife continued to pay the premiums for seven years before Mr. Moore died and it was revealed that the policy benefit would be paid out to the new partner.
Under the insurance policy Ms. Moore was named as a “revocable beneficiary” meaning she could be removed from the policy at any time regardless of whether she agreed. Ms. Sweet, however, was classed as “Irrevocable” so technically she could only be removed if she agreed to it.
When Ms. Moore found out that about the change of beneficiary, she sued Ms. Sweet for $250,000. The trial judge ruled in favour of Ms. Moore, saying Mr. Moore had given her rights to the policy through their verbal agreement.
The case went to the Court of Appeal who overturned the verdict and found that Ms. Moore should get back all the money she paid for the premiums but Ms. Sweet should get to keep the rest of the money.
The Supreme Court eventually ruled in favour of Ms. Moore. It found that Ms. Sweet being named an irrevocable beneficiary was not enough to override other someone else’s rights from a previous agreement. It also found the failure to tell Ms. Moore about the change of beneficiary amounted to “unjust enrichment”.
Learning By Doing?
And finally, what would Weird and Wacky Wednesday be without a trip to Florida? A father got in trouble with the law when he reportedly threw his five-year-old son in the water and told him to “learn to swim”.
Some fellow beach-goers alerted the police and the swimming instructor/father was arrested. He was charged with third-degree felony child abuse that could cause physical or mental injury as well as disorderly intoxication and swimming and diving from a pier where such activities were banned.
Father of the Year competition judges really have their work cut out for themselves this year.