A millionaire property developer from Bristol has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for failing to comply with a £3.5 million divorce settlement. John Hart, 83, was found in contempt of court for not providing business documents as ordered.
Mr Hart was married to Karen Hart, 62, for 24 years before their acrimonious split. The divorce battle over their £9.5 million estate has lasted seven years. In 2011, Mrs Hart was awarded £3.5 million, but she later failed in an attempt to secure a larger share.
The court found Mr Hart had breached orders by failing to hand over documents relating to his businesses. He was sentenced to nine months for each of two breaches, to run consecutively. However, he was granted bail pending an appeal, which will be heard next Tuesday.
Judge Stephen Wildblood described Mr Hart as an 'isolated and sad man' who had lost his relationship with his former wife and children. The judge noted that Mr Hart had 'done his utmost to frustrate' Mrs Hart's ability to run a property firm transferred to her as part of the settlement.
Mr Hart, who has prostate cancer, had also stopped maintenance payments in 2015, falling more than £92,000 in arrears. When Mrs Hart finally gained access to the company premises, she found it stripped of management records, leaving only two bank statements.
