Gentleman with two partners wins payout over ban from mansion

A businesswoman who caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman and banned him from using their weekend retreat to conduct his affair has been ordered to pay him £120,000.

Sharon Blades, 64, and Dr Chris Rowland, 66, bought Tadmarton House near Banbury, Oxon, in 2009 as what was described in court as a "grand weekend and holiday home". Both were divorced and had their own homes where they spent their time during the working week.

Later the same year, Ms Blades discovered he was two-timing her with Duyck, a PA in the City. He carried on seeing both women for more than a year until Ms Blades turned up unexpectedly at Dr Rowland's penthouse flat in west London and found him in bed with Emmanuelle Duyck, 53.

She ripped off the sheets, resulting in a police caution for assaulting Ms Duyck, while Dr Rowland accepted a restraining order preventing him from contacting either woman for several weeks. Dr Rowland, who had paid the entire cost of the £1.6 million second home himself, argued that he had been "excluded" from his property for six years, and a High Court judge has now agreed that Ms Blades should pay him increased compensation as a result.

Ms Blades, who worked in the semiconductor industry, told financial analyst, Dr Rowland, that he could still use their shared nine-bedroom country home, but refused to allow his French lover Ms Duyck to set foot in it. Ms Blades carried on using the weekend home arguing she owned half of it as her name was also on the deeds and told him in emails she was happy to take turns using it but warned, "Do not let 'her' into TH."

Dr Rowland, whose earnings topped £1 million a year at one stage, told the High Court he was excluded from his property between 2009 and 2015, when his relationship with Ms Duyck ended.

The couple fought over ownership of the house, and earlier this year a judge decided it should be sold. The proceeds of the sale were to be split 50-50 between the two, and Ms Blades was to pay Dr Rowland £59,958 to compensate him for lost use of the property, based on its rental value. Dr Rowland appealed, saying a fairer figure was £216,199.

Judge Milwyn Jarman increased the compensation to £120,000 after agreeing that the previous judge had not taken his lost "enjoyment" into account. Judge Jarman said, "In my judgment, Dr Rowland's loss is the loss of a grand weekend and holiday home rather than a holiday let."

I just want it to be over," Ms Blades said. "Both of us need to move on with our lives."

Whitestone Solicitors

Rochdale