Punk rocker’s £5m court Clash with ex he won’t even talk to
‘He isn’t speaking to her’
‘SHOULD I stay or should I go?’ asked punk rockers The Clash in their biggest hit single.
But for the ex-wife of the band’s bassist Paul Simonon, a clean break from him is not an option, a court heard – even though he won’t speak to her.
When former model Tricia Ronane and Mr Simonon divorced in 2008 after 18 years of marriage, he agreed that she would have a share of the band’s future income.
Now Miss Ronane, 54, who was the band’s manager for more than 20 years, wants to sell her rights to a share of his Clash royalties to an investment fund for £5million.
But Mr Simonon, 63, who featured on the cover of the band’s London Calling album destroying his bass guitar, objected. A court battle ensued and a judge has now blocked the sale.
The ruling came despite Miss Ronane saying the musician had refused to speak to her for years – either as her ex-husband and the father of her two children, or as a business partner. Her barrister, Jennifer Meech, told London’s High Court: ‘Mr Simonon isn’t speaking to her, isn’t responding to her,’ adding that dealing with Clash money was a ‘constant battle’ for her.
Under the terms of a 2010 financial settlement, they each kept one London property, while Miss Ronane paid Mr Simonon a £400,000 lump sum.
They also agreed that they would share the cost of private education for their sons – Louis, 27, and Claude Simonon, 24, who are now both models – and split any royalties they earned through The Clash between them.
Miss Ronane and Mr Simonon remained directors and 50 per cent shareholders of a company, Cut-Throat Productions Ltd, into which all their Clash income was paid.
The band split in 1986 after ten years and a string of hits, including Bank- robber, White Riot and Rock The Casbah. But their popularity continued and Should I Stay Or Should I Go? became their only number one in 1991 after it was used in a jeans advert. Miss Ronane, who stopped working for the band in 2011, now says that being tied to her ex through the company has become unbearable because of his attitude towards her.
The case reached court after Mr Simonon said that the terms of the divorce settlement ban either of them selling their part of the company.
His barrister James Mather said selling could create ‘great difficulties’ for Mr Simonon because he would have a business partner ‘forced upon’ him.
Mrs Meech, for Miss Ronane, said she could be ‘forever stuck in this company, which at least on her evidence isn’t functioning very well’.
Judge Mark Cawson described the case as an ‘unfortunate dispute’ but ruled that Miss Ronane cannot sell because that ‘would be inconsistent and incompatible’ with the divorce settlement. He ordered her to pay £30,000 towards Mr Simonon’s costs.