Sheep farmer's ex-wife LOSES battle over £80MILLION ‘gift' he gave her for kids… after she divorced him & kept cash
Clive Standish, 72, transferred the multi-million pound gift to his former partner Anna in 2017, with the intention of eventually placing the money in an offshore trust for their children.
Advertisement
5
Clive Standish will keep the majority of an £80million gift he gave his wife
Credit: Central News
5
It was initially decided by the High Court that Anna should receive half of the funds
Credit: Champion News
Clive, a former chief financial officer at UBS, made the decision to move the funds over to his Australian wife to exploit her non-dom status and avoid a crippling 40% inheritance-tax rate.
The former banker believed he would face a bill of about £32 million if he died with the money in his name.
But the pair's 15 year marriage later hit the rocks and divorce proceedings began in 2020 with the assets still in her name.
It was initially decided by the High Court in 2023 that Anna, 57, should receive half of the funds in the settlement.
Advertisement
Read more News
But last year, the Court of Appeal ruled that her share should be reduced from half to £25million.
The amount was judged to fairly represent her contribution to raising the children and looking after their home.
And despite Anna's recent attempts to overturn the decision, the ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court yesterday.
Five judges argued that the sum was not a marital asset because it had not been shared by the couple and Mr Standish had intended it for their children.
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
Exclusive
Exclusive
The ruling said: 'Tax planning schemes to save tax, involving transfers of assets from one spouse to another, are commonplace.
'The problem for the wife is that there is nothing to show that, over time, the parties were treating the 2017 assets as shared between them.
'Rather, the transfer was in pursuance of a scheme to negate inheritance tax and it was for the benefit exclusively of the children.
'The parties' intention was that the £80 million should not be retained by the wife.'
Advertisement
Fresh twist in Eamonn Holmes & Ruth Langsford's divorce as celeb pair battle over £3.6m home
His wife never established two offshore trusts as he had expected, so Clive was judged to be the sole owner of those assets when divorce proceedings began.
Lord Faulks, representing Anna, tried to argue that the
money had become shared property
after the initial transfer, adding that she had contributed by accepting the gift.
Mr Standish moved to Australia in 1976 and married Anna in December 2005, before the pair moved to the UK five years later.
The couple lived together at Moundsmere Manor, an 18-bedroom mansion near Preston Candover, Hampshire.
Advertisement
Clive's laywer, Tim Bishop KC, explained that in June 2004 his client was worth £57.3 million, while Anna had 'no significant pre-marital wealth'.
The marital assets at the time of the split amounted to £132million, almost all of which had come from Clive's initial fortune.
Mr Bishop added: "The husband made the transfers in March 2017, but the wife failed to transfer the assets into trust by the time the marriage ran into problems in 2019 and then broke down finally in 2020".
Delivering the Supreme Court ruling, Lord Burrows and Lord Stephens agreed with the Court of Appeal's verdict.
Advertisement
5
The pair lived together at Moundsmere Manor in Hampshire
Credit: Champion News Service
5
Clive moved the funds over to his Australian wife to avoid inheritance-tax
Credit: Champion News Service Ltd
They said: "There was no matrimonialisation of the 2017 assets because the transfer was to save tax and it was for the benefit of the children not the wife.
"The 2017 assets were not, therefore, being treated by the husband and wife for any period of time as an asset that was shared between them.
Advertisement
"Transfers of capital assets with the intention of saving tax do not, without some further compelling evidence, establish that the parties are treating the capital asset as shared between them.
"The 2017 assets comprise the husband's pre-marital assets and earnings that the husband made in the years 2004-2007, to which the wife contributed by being the home-maker and child carer during those years.
"In relation to a scheme designed to save tax, under which one spouse transfers an asset to the other spouse, the parties' dealings with the asset do not normally show that the asset is being treated as shared between them.
"Rather, the intention is simply to save tax."
Advertisement
5
Anna's share following the Supreme Court ruling will stay at £25million
Credit: Champion News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Sally Rooney will remain 'committed supporter of Palestine Action', court told
Sally Rooney has told the High Court she is 'and will continue to be a committed supporter' of Palestine Action, which failed to secure a temporary block on it being banned as a terrorist group on Friday. The Irish author said in court documents that the ban would prevent her from speaking at future public events as she 'could not in good conscience disguise or lie about my principles' if it comes into effect at 12.01am on Saturday as planned. If the ban does come into effect, it would make membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. I am and will continue to be a committed supporter of Palestine Action Rooney has provided support for a legal claim by Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, against the Home Office, over the decision to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. Ms Ammori asked a High Court judge on Friday to temporarily block the move from becoming law over the weekend, ahead of a bid to be given the green light to challenge the Government's decision later this month. But in a ruling, Mr Justice Chamberlain refused to block the ban, stating that any harm caused is 'insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force'. Barristers for Ms Ammori are seeking to appeal against the ruling on Friday evening. In her witness statement, cited in Mr Justice Chamberlain's judgment, Rooney said the 'cultural effects' of Palestine Action becoming proscribed 'could not be easily mended'. She said: 'Though I am based in Ireland, my work is published in the UK. My novels regularly appear in bestseller lists, and I often travel to Britain to speak in public about my work. 'I am and will continue to be a committed supporter of Palestine Action. 'If… that support is criminalised, I will effectively be prevented from speaking at any future public events in the UK, since I could not in good conscience disguise or lie about my principles in public. For any public figure to be labelled a 'supporter of terrorism' by the state would have serious consequences. It would likely end or severely restrict the careers of many emerging artists 'If I continue to voice support for Palestine Action from my home in Ireland, what are the likely consequences? Will I be denounced publicly by the Prime Minister? 'Will bookshops go on stocking the work of an author the home secretary has branded a 'terrorist' simply for supporting a protest group? 'The BBC has adapted two of my books for television; both series are presently promoted on the iPlayer service. Normal People, which I co-wrote and produced, was the BBC's most-streamed series in 2020, with over 62 million views. 'My beliefs have not changed since the making of that series, and I have done nothing but continue to express them. 'If the expression of those beliefs becomes a terror offence under UK law, would the BBC continue to screen and promote my work? 'Is it likely that I could ever again collaborate with British public institutions like the BBC as I have done in the past? 'The cultural effects of proscription could not be easily mended, even if the home secretary later changed her mind. 'For any public figure to be labelled a 'supporter of terrorism' by the state would have serious consequences. If Palestine Action loses its bid to temporarily block the move, it is due to become a terrorist organisation on Saturday after the order was signed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (PA) 'It would likely end or severely restrict the careers of many emerging artists. ''Terrorism' is not a trivial word.' In written submissions for Friday's hearing, Raza Husain KC, for Ms Ammori, said that Rooney 'will continue to voice her support from Ireland' for the group. He said: 'Given her public support for Palestine Action… she is concerned that being labelled a 'supporter of terrorism' would have serious impacts on her ability to collaborate and publicise her work.' He continued: 'Ms Rooney notes that 'countless artists, writers and members of the public support direct action against complicity in what Israel is doing in Palestine', including Juliet Stevenson, Paul Weller, Tilda Swinton, Brian Eno, and other signatories to an open letter dated 30 June 2025.' If Palestine Action loses its bid to temporarily block the move, it is due to become a terrorist organisation on Saturday, after the order was signed by the home secretary, Yvette Cooper. Ms Cooper announced plans to proscribe the direct action group last month, after two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an action claimed by Palestine Action. Read More Eight men jailed for 129 years after record €157m cocaine seizure off Cork coast
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Refuse worker died after he fell from back of moving bin lorry and hit his head on road, High Court told
The family of a refuse collector who died after falling from the back of a bin truck has had a statutory payment of €35,000 for loss and mental distress approved by the High Court. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor heard how the vehicle had gone over a speed bump and the man, who was in his 50s, fell from the rear and hit his head on the road, causing severe injury. In 2020, the man's daughter, who was then a minor, brought High Court proceedings through her mother against the waste company and the driver of the refuse truck. It was alleged that the respondents were negligent and in breach of their statutory duties. READ MORE The daughter and the mother were dependents of the worker and all three lived together, the court heard. In the case it was alleged that the truck was driving at an inappropriate speed when approaching the speed bump, that the company allowed or permitted the worker to travel by holding on to the rear of the vehicle without a helmet and that there was a failure to have in place an adequate step upon which he could safely stand. The plaintiff said that the claimed breaches came under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. Damages were also sought under the Civil Liability Act for the benefit of the dependents in the form of the statutory payment. Padraig D Lyons, for the plaintiff, told the court on Friday the case had been settled and the only matter to be attended to was the statutory payment for loss and mental distress. Mr Lyons said the mother was waiving her entitlement to the payment in favour of her daughter. Four others were also entitled to a part of the payment, but had not originally been in the case as statutory dependents, he said. Mr Justice O'Connor made an order directing the payment of €35,000 to the plaintiff. He expressed his sympathy to the family for what they had gone through and he wished them well.
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm raging after catching my neighbour STEALING electricity & this was after they caused our water to be cut off too
A WOMAN was left shocked after discovering that her neighbour has been stealing her electricity. The 29-year-old revealed that she recently moved to a new city with her husband and one-year-old child - and problems started to arise with her neighbour. Advertisement 3 A woman was left shocked after discovering her neighbour was stealing electricity from her Credit: Reddit She explained that they live in a semi-detached building, and share a wall with their neighbour, who is in their late 40s or early 50s. The first issue they had with the neighbour is that she didn't pay her half of the water bill, and as they share one water metre, it was cut off. The US-based woman wrote on 'We've given a lot of grace considering she smokes weed and it seeps through that wall so you can smell it through our restroom and child's room.' Advertisement More on neighbours Things reached a head when they spotted she had been stealing electricity from them by plugging in a lead to go to her house. They immediately texted her asking what was going on, and her replies were rather emotional. She replied saying: 'I'll unplug asap, and I'll come right over to tell [sic] to you. 'It's been the worst week and I don't know how much more I can take.' Advertisement Most read in Fabulous She added in a later text: 'I'm at my wits end. 'Everything is falling apart and my daughter won't help me. Your kids are breaking law if they kick their ball over neighbour's fence, High Court rules after couple sued next door 'My electric bill is 2000 dollars because I went the whole year without paying everything myself. 'I'm paralyzed and I'll be sitting in the dark again in about 2 hours. Advertisement 'NOONE can help me. And I'm so tired, I can't ask anyone for anything else. I'll be homeless.' The woman whose electricity was being stolen said they were also going through a hardship. She texted back: 'I feel like we've been respectful neighbors to you and would appreciate to be treated the same way. 'If you could have simply asked us out of respect we would have worked some type of agreement with you. Advertisement 'I understand you're going through hardship but we are too. 3 The woman replied saying she felt like the neighbour had taken advantage of her Credit: Reddit 'And we feel like you plugging into our electricity without asking is taking advantage of us thinking we're just a dumb young couple who won't notice. 'I understand you have a child you're taking care of but we have a baby we're trying to better provide for.' Advertisement They explained that they would be now letting the property management handle the situation. 3 The neighbour offered to pay $100 for the electricity Credit: Reddit PAY BACK In response to this, the neighbour said she had been "embarrassed" to ask for help, and offered them $100 to pay them back for the electricity. Many people were shocked at the encounter, with one saying: 'She shamelessly plugged it in but too scared to admit fault. Instead of just owning up to her mistake, she's whining about how awful things have been for her. Coward.' Advertisement Another added: 'There was no mistake here. What she did was very deliberate and had her sob story ready to go to guilt the neighbor into letting her continue to leech.' I had a two-year bin war with my next door neighbour Gemma Smith and Sophie Wood were engaged in a weekly feud for a year over their wheelie bins. When Gemma, who is single and doesn't work due to stress, says: 'Sophie seemed nice and we'd stop and exchange pleasantries. 'But it all changed at the beginning of 2022, when Sophie's bin was full and she put her rubbish bag in mine. 'I took it out and put it on top of her bin. 'It fell off, gulls pecked at it and there was rubbish everywhere.' Both women refused to clear up the mess, claiming it was the other one's fault. Gemma says: 'I felt so angry. 'There was cat litter spread all over my drive — it was absolutely disgusting and we ended up shouting at each other. 'We were both as bad as each other — we'd walk past each other and I'd tell her she was a lazy cow and to clean up after herself. 'We'd scream insults at each other." Within six months Sophie had set up a CCTV camera and threatened to report Gemma to the council. In retaliation, Gemma set up the baby monitor — which can record video — to try to pin more wrongdoing on Sophie. Then last July Sophie spotted Gemma in tears on her doorstep following a burglary at her home. Gemma says: 'Sophie came straight round and asked if there was anything she could do. 'We are now the best of friends and help each other out all the time."
