The former partner of a London bar owner is fighting for a bigger slice of her late lover’s alleged £6 million fortune in a unique gay “divorce” court battle.
If Helen Roocroft makes legal history by winning she will be taking the cash off the dead woman’s elderly mother.
Miss Roocroft, 40, claims ex-partner Carol Ann Ainscow hid her wealth when they split in 2009.
The late property developer, who died in 2013, owned Manto in Old Compton Street, Soho, as well as bars and restaurants in Manchester’s Gay Village. She claimed to be worth £750,000 — but accounts suggested the true figure was closer to £6 million, the Court of Appeal heard.
Miss Roocroft says she was misled into accepting a “modest” £162,000 payout at the end of the 19-year relationship.
She claims to have had a raw deal and, with her former partner now dead, is fighting to re-open her financial claims against the estate.
In what is thought to be the first lesbian “divorce” to reach the Court of Appeal, Lady Justice Black granted Ms Roocroft permission to appeal in what the judge believes is an unique case.
“The complication of the death of Ms Ainscow is significant,” said the judge. “I’m not aware of a similar case where the non-disclosure has been acted upon following death of the other party.”
The full appeal is likely to be bitterly contested. As Miss Ainscow died without making a will, her elderly mother is currently entitled to the entire estate.
The court heard that Miss Roocroft and Miss Ainscow had been in a relationship together since the 1990s. In that time, Miss Ainscow helped to turn Manchester’s Canal Street into a thriving gay village. She opened some of the city’s first openly gay bars then moved into property development. The couple entered into a civil partnership in 2008 but separated the next year.
Their partnership was dissolved in 2010 and Miss Roocroft applied for financial relief and maintenance. She estimated Miss Ainscow’s wealth at £30 million but the entrepreneur said the recession had hit her business hard, leaving her with only £750,000.
That led Miss Roocroft to agree a “clean break” settlement of £162,000 in instalments. But the court heard that when her ex died aged 55, Miss Roocroft realised she had been duped.
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Business accounts for the year ending 2010 showed that the property firm of which Miss Ainscow was sole shareholder held funds of £5.5 million.
A bid by Miss Roocroft to re-open her claim was rejected by a Chester county court judge last year but Lady Justice Black ruled that this may have been wrong and the appeal had “a real prospect of success”. The case will be heard by three judges this year.
