Wealthy couple in bitter divorce battle ... over their AGA!
IN happier times, it was meant to be the centrepiece of their cottage kitchen.
Now, an £11,000 Aga cooker is at the heart of a wealthy couple’s bitter divorce.
It is part of a £600,000 courtroom battle between Brian and Shirley Douglas – along with a £23,000 diamond ring, several luxury watches and a painting of a Highland cow.
After the two successful business bosses split up, they were given taxpayers’ money totalling nearly £70,000 to take their dispute to court – where last week both were criticised by a sheriff for their testimony.
Mrs Douglas, formerly in charge of a group of stores with a multi-millionpound turnover, was branded a liar by Sheriff Simon Collins. He also berated her and Mr Douglas – a former head of Vision Express Europe – for the quality of evidence they gave at Perth Sheriff Court.
In a written judgment, Sheriff Collins said: ‘I am satisfied she [Mrs Douglas] is not a credible or reliable witness. It’s likely she took the pursuer’s valuables and lied to the court about this.
‘She presented as an independent, smart and combative individual... she would have given as good as she got in the course of the parties’ marriage. I consider she has been shown to have been responsible for a gross and calculated deception.’
But the sheriff was also unimpressed by Mr Douglas, adding: ‘In his evidence, at times he was arrogant and belligerent, contemptuous and dismissive of the defender, and he expressed some rather antediluvian attitudes to a woman’s role within marriage.
‘The real question is whether it’s more likely that he or the defender was brazenly lying to the court and, in my view, the defender’s willingness to do so in other respects suggests to me that she is the more likely liar on this matter as well.’
When the couple met in 1992, Mr Douglas was a regional director of Woolworths and Mrs Douglas managed three Mothercare branches with a £4 million annual turnover.
They married in October 2003 and, by their separation in 2014, were fighting over property worth £578,750 – including the Aga they planned to fit at a cottage in Madderty, Perthshire, but which was returned to the seller, with the £11,853 refund deemed part of the matrimonial property.
Mr Douglas claimed his wife took items worth £35,000 from a safe in the family home, including three watches and a diamond ring.
Mrs Douglas denied this but the sheriff believed she had lied.
Sheriff Collins ruled her husband’s share of the assets – predominantly in pension funds – should be £428,935, while she should receive £149,815.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board said Mr Douglas received £23,000 for the proceedings while Mrs Douglas received £45,000. The board may be able to claw back money or property recovered in the action.
The couple will return to court this month to decide who should pay legal expenses.
‘Contemptuous and dismissive’