‘Princess’ cites affair and cocaine abuse in London fraud case

LONDON: A so- called Saudi princess accused of defrauding two property developers of £14 million (R210.5m) claims she had a secret affair with one of them.

Sara Al Amoudi – believed by some to be a princess with “limitless wealth”, but attacked by her detractors as a prostitute and conwoman – enjoyed romantic holidays with London investor Ian Paton, the High Court in London heard this week.

Paton, 45, and his long-term girlfriend and business partner Amanda Clutterbuck, 56, claim they were financially ruined after being lured into giving six exclusive flats in Chelsea and Knightsbridge to Al Amoudi, thinking she was a princess poised to invest millions in a joint property scheme.

But the court heard claims that instead of being tricked into giving her the flats, Paton had actually invented the claim of being conned to cover up not only a secret affair with the mysterious “royal”, but also his longterm addiction to crack cocaine.

Al Amoudi said Paton had stolen and borrowed millions from her, and the flats were repayment. He has denied the sex, drugs, thefts and loans allegations.

Yesterday his partner Clutterbuck – a mother of four who had built up a multimillion-pound fortune from her property deal- ings – was forced to deny accusations that Paton was “having sexual relations” with Al Amoudi, said to be aged between 30 and 43.

Jonathan Seitler, QC, for Al Amoudi, put it to her that Paton, her partner for almost 20 years and the father of her youngest child, was secretly a crack addict who had lied to her and enjoyed a relationship with the “princess” behind her back.

Seitler alleged that Paton had taken trips to Thailand and Ams- terdam with Al Amoudi in 2009 without her knowledge.

Clutterbuck admitted Paton had travelled with the “princess”, but denied the trips were clandestine. She told the court she had picked him up from the airport on his return.

Seitler claimed “absolute rubbish”.

He also accused Clutterbuck of “confiscating” her partner’s cellphone because of her suspicions about the “affair” – some-

this was thing she denied – and concluded by asking her if she flatly denied any sexual relations between Paton and the “princess”.

Clutterbuck replied: “How can I actually say categorically? All I can go with is being told by Al Amoudi that Ian had a 20-year-old history of crack addiction, that I knew nothing of. He says he has not had sexual relations with her, and I believe him.”

The hearing – Daily Mail

continues.