Sir Robin loses appeal in multi-million-dollar divorce case

A multi-million-dollar pay-out is to be made to Christiana Yearwood, the ex-wife of Sir Robin Yearwood, now that the Court of Appeal has dismissed the MP’s appeal against an earlier High Court ruling in Antigua.
That High Court decision, which the appellate court upheld late last month, permitted the woman to register in Antigua, the first ruling on the matter which actually started in the U.K. court which decided that Sir Robin must pay over £4 million.
Dr. David Dorsett, who represented the ex-wife, explained what happened when the woman started to pursue enforcement of payment in Antigua.
He said, “Miss Yearwood, upon the divorce, brought an action, asking for the division of certain matrimonial property. The court in England made the order and she asked for the order to be registered in Antigua so that it could be enforced. Mr. Yearwood resisted the application for the registration of the order and judgement of the English court.”
The lawyer said Sir Robin’s basis for the resistance was that “there had been no Rules of Court made with respect to the registration of an order” in what he said were family proceedings.
Dr. Dorsett recalled, “The High Court held that there was no need for any rules of court; that the judgement could be registered under the act. Mr. Yearwood was displeased.”
That’s why he appealed but again, he has lost.
“It means that the order that was registered in Antigua remains registered and is liable to be enforced, for a couple million pounds to be paid … the order of the English court was that a substantial sum of money to be paid and there has been very little if any compliance with the order,” Dr. Dorsett said.
It was in February 2008 that the divorce petition was filed in the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in England and a Decree Nisi dissolving the marriage was granted in August 2008.
On December 7, 2009 Philip Moor QC – sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge in England ordered the payment by Sir Robin to his ex-wife, a lump sum of £4,121,037.00.
(More in today’s Daily Observer)