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4 months ago
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The ex-wife of a multi-millionaire businessman is trying to get him and his mother jailed after claiming they have not paid her almost £750,000 in divorce cash.
Entrepreneur Richard Rothschild, 49, has been locked in a bitter court war with Charmaine De Souza after their 21-year relationship fell apart in 2016.
The pair - who have two children together - first clashed in court in 2018 when Mr Rothschild moved his new girlfriend, American Playboy model Sherra Michelle, into the couple's luxury £2.3million Miami condo.
A High Court judge split the feuding couple's assets in 2019 - handing De Souza £1.73million, while Mr Rothschild, 49, was left with £634,000.
Mr Rothschild later claimed he had been left 'penniless' after flogging off his Lamborghini and properties, before moving in with his mother Wanda Radziszewska.
Rothschild, who changed his name from Richard Pierzchalo-Piasecki and is not part of the famous banking family, was handed a suspended jail term along with his mother in 2019.
Now the pair could face jail again after they allegedly blocked the sale of the couple's £1,225,000 west London flat, where Ms Radziszewska currently lives. The flat was previously earmarked to be sold as part of the divorce settlement.
Entrepreneur Richard Rothschild (left), 49, has been locked in a bitter court war with Charmaine De Souza after he moved Playboy model Sherra Michelle (right) into the family's Miami condo in 2018
Charmaine De Souza (pictured outside London's Court of Appeal) has said she is still owed almost £750,000 from a divorce settlement and is now seeking to have her former husband and his mother jailed for contempt of court
Mr Rothschild and his mother Wanda Radziszewska (pictured) faced an application to commit them both to prison for contempt of court, relating to them allegedly blocking the sale of the former couple's £1,225,000 west London apartment, where Ms Radziszewska lives
Judges at previous hearings have ordered that the property be sold and Mrs Radziszewska move herself and all her belongings out, delivering up 'vacant possession' of the apartment, which is under offer from a buyer.
That would see Ms de Souza pocket around £500,000 of the money she is owed by her ex Mr Rothschild.
Mrs Radziszewska however has failed to budge from the apartment in west London leading Ms de Souza to ask High Court judge, Sir Jonathan Cohen, to jail mother and son immediately.
Mr Rothschild was previously handed an 84-day suspended prison sentence in 2021 after his ex complained he was in contempt of court for breaching orders made by a judge earlier in their legal war. Mrs Radziszewska was also handed a 28-day suspended sentence at the same hearing.
Charles Hale KC, for Miss de Souza, told the judge: 'Miss De Souza...has been crippled by ongoing costs and debt arising from the respondents' continued breaches of court orders and failure to comply with the simplest of requests to move matters on.
'It is all of course deliberate and contumelious behaviour by both respondents, designed to thwart all reasonable attempts to bring matters to a conclusion after almost eight years of litigation.
'Despite being a full time, sole parent of two children...and running a business, the applicant has had to take on most of the burden of preparing the litigation/enforcement documents herself. It is taking its toll.
'The behaviour is not only an affront to justice and the authority of this court, but it also amounts to financial abuse of the applicant.
'This is the last opportunity the court can reasonably give these respondents to comply with all the necessary requirements set out to allow the sale of Addison Gardens to take place immediately.
'The sale will be lost if there is any further delay. That will simply cause more financial catastrophe for the applicant.
'The mortgage on the property is £4,000 a month alone, which falls to the applicant alone to discharge, Wanda Radziszewska and Richard Rothschild having, characteristically, refused to honour their obligations to do so.
Mr Rothschild reportedly moved playboy model Sherra Michelle into his luxury Miami condo (pictured) that was shared with his former wife
British entrepreneur Richard Rothschild (pictured playboy model Sherra Michell), says he has been left living with his 76-year-old mother in London after a bitter divorce row with his ex-wife left him 'penniless'
Richard Rothschild (left) moved Playboy model Sherra Michelle (right) into the apartment he once shared with his wife, which started off the original court proceedings
Picture shows the property in Brook Green, West London, at the cente of a court fight involving Richard Rothschild
'Wanda has refused to pay a single penny since the original financial orders were made, with the net effect she has lived mortgage and rent free for more than four years, at Miss De Souza's expense.
'She cannot obtain a mortgage for herself, saddled as she is with her massive overall debt caused by Richard Rothschild and Wanda.
'Wanda cannot evade her own obligations.
'The suspension of the 2021 order committing both Richard Rothschild and Wanda must now be lifted and the consequences of their behaviour fully felt, with immediate prison sentences.'
The court previously heard Mr Rothschild and Ms de Souza had a 21-year relationship after meeting as students, marrying in 2005, having two children and running a thriving west London telecomms business.
The pair led a lavish lifestyle, with Mr Rothschild driving a Lamborghini, while the couple also enjoyed a multimillion dollar condo in an exclusive Miami Beach apartment block.
The pair split in 2016 and first clashed in court in 2018 after Mr Rothschild moved his then girlfriend, Playboy model Sherra Michelle, into their former apartment.
Mr Rothschild said the Miami Beach property belonged to him alone, but he was told by a divorce judge in London at that time that he had to share it 50/50 with his ex.
In December 2019, Mr Justice Cohen finally divided their wealth, awarding Miss de Souza the £1.85m Park Royal, west London-based mobile phone business they had run together, plus cash and properties worth almost another £1m.
Mr Rothschild was given the Miami apartment, which the judge valued at £2..38m, but which he claimed was worth far less, leaving him with in effect no capital at all, and no income after paying off family debts.
He failed in a challenge to what he called the 'unfair' divorce ruling at the Court of Appeal in 2020.
His barrister Patrick Chamberlayne QC had told appeal judges that, after debts including about £300,000 in lawyers' fees for their divorce fight, the order left the wife with capital worth £1,760,138, while Mr Rothschild got just £23,938.
Speaking to MailOnline in 2020, Mr Rothschild said: 'I'm now back living in London with my 75-year-old mother after they took my five houses.
'They sold my Lamborghini, a £400,000 car for around £95,000. But I don't care, you can sell my things but you can't take my happiness. I love Sherra and I can't wait to marry her.'
Ms de Souza had a 21-year relationship with Mr Rothschild after meeting as students, marrying in 2005. They now have two young children together
Ms De Souza, pictured here in Miami, was awarded the London telecoms business by the judge, though Mr Rothschild disputes this and says it was originally started by his mother
At the time, he said he had not seen his young children properly since 2017 and has gone through multiple mediation sessions, each of which have failed.
The former couple had waged an earlier court war over the apartment in 2018 after Mr Rothschild moved in his then girlfriend, Miss Michelle, prompting a bid by Ms de Souza to get him jailed for contempt of court.
That clash blew up after Mr Rothschild said the Miami Beach property belonged to him alone, but he was told by a divorce judge in London at that time that he had to share it 50/50 with his ex.
He promised to give up 'vacant possession' of the luxury flat, to spend thousands of dollars repairing it and to put it on the rental market.
But instead he continued to stay there himself and also let his then girlfriend Miss Michelle stay, lawyers for his ex-wife said.
The former couple eventually settled their differences over that issue and a year later Mr Justice Cohen split their wealth, handing the business to Ms De Souza and the whole apartment to Mr Rothschild.
But his barrister Patrick Chamberlayne QC told the Appeal Court that, after debts including about £300,000 in lawyers' fees for their divorce fight had been paid, the judge's order left the wife with capital worth £1,760,138, while Mr Rothschild got just £23,938.
And he went on to claim that the position in reality was even worse than that for the husband, arguing that the judge had overvalued the Miami Beach apartment by £615,000, leaving Mr Rothschild with nothing at all from the marriage, while his ex got millions.
Regarding the telecoms company, Mr Rothschild told MailOnline: 'It was my mother who started that company, putting over £600,000 of investment in. She has now only got that investment back which was put in 25-years ago, and would now be worth millions.
'She [Ms de Souza} came to us as basically a glorified secretary. We took her in. She was employee number nine and never started the company.'
Mr Rothchild's barrister said that the judge had deprived the husband of 'every penny, everything he has achieved in this 21-year marriage' and left him without any assets or the ability to meet his needs.
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