Bannatyne provided false evidence for financial gain in divorce battle, judge says

Scottish businessman and TV personality Duncan Bannatyne provided false evidence during a divorce struggle with his former wife, a judge has said.

Judge David Hodge said Mr Bannatyne’s aim was to mislead a court for financial gain.

The judge said Mr Bannatyne later corrected “the situation”.

Details of the misleading emerged in a ruling by the judge after Mr Bannatyne became involved in a legal fight with a newspaper publisher over whether the public could be told what he did.

The judge ruled in favour of Associated Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

He said there was a public interest in exposing attempts to mislead a court even if the person making such attempts had repented.

Mr Bannatyne was ordered to foot lawyers’ bills run up by Associated Newspapers.

Judge Hodge analysed the dispute at a High Court hearing in Manchester last month.

They had then become embroiled in a legal dispute over money.

Their cash dispute had been settled – on terms approved by a judge nearly three years ago.

Mr Bannatyne had subsequently become embroiled in a separate legal dispute with a former employee.

Graham Armstrong – a former chief executive of a fitness company run by Mr Bannatyne – had earlier this year claimed damages for wrongful dismissal.

Judge Hodge indicated that the litigation had yet to reach a conclusion.

And detail of evidence given by Mr Bannatyne when he was arguing over money with his ex-wife had emerged in court documents relating to the Armstrong case.

Associated Newspapers wanted access to material in those documents.

But Mr Bannatyne said “certain parts of the statements” should be redacted – and not made public.

Judge Hodge said: “In my judgement, there is a public interest in making it clear that if someone does provide false evidence to a court, with a view to misleading the court for their own financial gain, or for the financial gain of an associate, then it will do them no good to admit that fact without fear of any repercussions.

“In my judgement, the public interest lies in exposing attempts to mislead the court, even if the person making such attempts then repents of what he has done and corrects the situation.”