Page 93 - Bundle for MF Final

Bates no 092

We have been home from Portugal - both unwell - for just over 24 hours and, believe it or not, you and
Louise are not our only priorities. Making assumptions, pressurising, impatience, greed and distorting the
truth are very bad characteristics which I suggest you control.

There are a couple of corrections I must make to your earlier email.

Firstly, I never said the timing of your separation from Louise did not benefit "any of us". In fact, when you
dropped the bomb in my lap I made it very clear that I believed the timing was cynically in your favour
and was possibly the direct result of Anthony's subsidising of your life-style in Nutley Place being withdrawn.
The free ride was over.

You cannot have forgotten my disappointment (with you) that you sat through months of Lou's recent
court cases, never once correcting your assurances that your relationship with her was sound and that your
long term plans to stay together were firm. Five weeks after Anthony was let off the hook for maintenance
(entirely because your relationship with Lou was deemed permanent and equal to marriage) you ran off. I
do not accept the two developments were unrelated.

I told you I would never forgive you for remaining silent and allowing Anthony to escape his financial
obligations. If you had given the slightest indication before the final hearing that you might scamper off,
Anthony's support of Lou would have continued. That is how you should have behaved. Instead, you
waited until the case had been lost and then abandoned the home and four kids who had viewed you as a
father. If Anthony's maintenance had continued I am sure you would still be living a life of luxury in Nutley
Place.

I told you that although you may not have a legal obligation to support Lou, your moral duty was clear.
You repeatedly bombasted about the work you had done on the house, the costs you had incurred, food
you had bought, the tins of paint in the garage, and the advantage the Siggers kids had over Cameron and
Robyn in terms of education and blah, blah, blah. You see it all one way, with you as the victim. I don't. I
consider your behaviour to be appalling and now you want the largest slice of equity in Lou's home.

I suggested that your work on the house merely offset the minimal and inadequate monthly contribution
you had made (over 8-9 years) towards living costs. You said you understood this and would do all you
could to help. It seems you have had second thoughts.

Secondly, Lou does not accept that your clothes were thrown on the drive. They were carefully packed,
secure and clean, ready for your collection. The reason you were banned from the house was because on
the first visit following your abandonment you turned up unannounced and bullied your way in when only
the kids were present. You had no right of entry and I believe Tom said he would call the police if you did
not leave. You were wrong to pressurise the kids and you have only yourself to blame for the current
impasse.

I will review your schedules (with which I do not agree: see attached) but please provide me with:

• Details of any written or oral loan of other agreements you had with Lou;
• Breakdown of costs allegedly incurred on the house: separating your labour from third party
expenses and materials;
+ A list of the personal property you would like returned and when you would like it delivered to
you;

I am writing to you against Lou's express wishes and without her knowledge. She is worried - on health
grounds - about me and Jean and repeatedly asked you not to involve us. You ignored this request.

I am very worried about Lou: there is only so much pressure that anyone can take and you and Anthony are
pushing her to the limit: as though it were some clever game. It is not. The pressure is life threatening.

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