Fashioning an equitable distribution award lies within the sound discretion of the trial judge and that award will not be set aside unless it is plainly wrong or without evidence to support it. Neither party's evidence was flawless or totally convincing. The trial court considered the entire record, including the commissioner's recommendations and the law, when it resolved the equities between the parties. Its findings are supported in the record, and we cannot say the court abused its discretion. We also consider whether the trial court erred in granting the wife a divorce on the ground of desertion.
Desertion is . . .
Once separation and intent to desert have been established, the desertion is presumed to continue until the contrary is shown. The wife's evidence established that the husband moved out of the marital bedroom two years before the parties separated. She testified that he routinely turned off the water to the house, forcing her to go to neighbors' houses to get water for drinking, bathing, and laundry. On occasion, the husband also incapacitated her car. The wife testified the parties did not eat meals together, and, instead of communicating with her, the husband yelled and cursed at her.