Millionaire cheat sues ex-lover after he was banned from £1.6m bolthole
A MILLIONAIRE whose girlfriend caught him in bed with another woman is fighting his ex in court after she banned him from a £1.6million weekend mansion they owned.
Ex-financial analyst Dr Chris Rowland, who had an annual income of more than £1million, bought ninebedroom Tadmarton House, near Banbury, Oxon, in 2009 as a country retreat with Sharon Blades.
But their relationship hit the rocks after eco-business executive Ms Blades found he had another partner.
Dr Rowland carried on seeing both women for more than a year until Ms Blades discovered him with her rival at his flat.
Ms Blades, 60, who had vetoed Dr Rowland visiting Tadmarton House with the other woman, later accepted a police caution for assaulting her.
After the former pair contested
ownership of the Italianate villa, a judge ruled last year they were equal owners. Dr Rowland wants £216,000 compensation from her for being excluded from 2009 to 2015, when he split with the other woman.
London’s High Court heard that Dr Rowland, 65, and Ms Blades loved the Grade II-listed house in 24 acres and, according to her, intended to “grow old together” there. But she found him
in bed with another woman. Last year Judge William Hansen said an altercation “resulted in Ms Blades accepting a police caution for assaulting the new partner and Dr Rowland accepting a restraining order preventing contact with either woman for weeks”.
Dr Rowland admitted in court he was not proud of the two-timing, adding: “I was emotionally attached to both women and each of them wanted me to choose between them, and I had real trouble making that choice.”
Judge Hansen rejected Dr Rowland’s claim he alone owned Tadmarton House as he paid the full price, saying the couple took it on jointly. He ordered it to be sold with profits split down the middle.
He awarded £59,958 in compensation for the exclusion but Dr Rowland is asking Judge Milwyn Jarman QC to increase that to £216,199. Paul Dipre, his barrister, claims Judge Hansen wrongly assessed the loss suffered.
But Ms Blades’ lawyers say damages should be calculated on the basis of his “loss of enjoyment” of the bolthole rather than on its rental value.
She wants the award cut to £36,000. Thomas Roe QC, her barrister, said: “Essentially, it was the loss of the opportunity to enjoy the amenity of using the house at weekends.”
Judge Jarman said he would give his decision at a later date.