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SCOTS pensioner who tried to sue his former girlfriend for the money he spent on romancing her was criticised by a judge yesterday for wasting court time.
Alf McGuire, 67, took legal action against Diane Dellar to try to recover the £1,200 he claimed he spent on her during the last year of their romance. But the district judge Ian Evans said the case should never have been brought to court and described it as one of the most "totally inappropriate" matters he had dealt with.
Mr McGuire, a retired labourer who is originally from Paisley, dated Ms Dellar for three and a half years after meeting her through a lonely hearts advert he placed in a newspaper.
The couple split up several times before Ms Dellar left him for good. She was shocked to received a court letter, stating that Mr McGuire was demanding she repay the £1,200 he had spent on groceries, meals out, holidays, day trips, alcohol and cigarettes. Ms Dellar, 53, refused to pay up and claimed she had spent money on presents for him and cooked meals during their relationship.
Mr McGuire told the Ipswich small claims court that Ms Dellar had been repeatedly unfaithful to him. He said: "When you love someone and take them out like I did, I don't expect to get betrayed and lied to, cheated on and deceived."
But Mr McGuire, who lives with his son in the Suffolk town, admitted in court he had spent money on Ms Dellar of his "own free will" and had not loaned it to her. Ms Dellar wept as Mr Evans took less than 20 minutes to throw out the case - without hearing any testimony from her.
He told Mr McGuire: "You have not produced anything that amounts to a case in law. This is a court of law. It's not a court of retribution. It's not a court of emotional bloodletting, and I am not here to examine people's private lives unless they raise any legal issues.
"The case raises no legal issues and it is one of the most misconceived cases I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. It should never have got here. It's been a complete waste of my time."
As Ms Dellar collapsed in tears and was comforted by her daughter, Mr Evans said he did not propose to "put her through further stress" by letting her reply to Mr McGuire's allegations.
But Ms Dellar insisted she still wanted her say in court and accused Mr McGuire of wrecking her life. She claimed the stress he had put her under had led to being put on six types of medication and being too scared to leave her flat. She further denied being unfaithful to Mr McGuire.
Earlier, she said: "It's a joke to say he spent £1,200 on me in one year. He didn't even spend that much in our three years together. I used to feed him when he came round to mine, but I'd never dream of going to a solicitor to ask him to pay up."
Mr McGuire was unrepentant outside court. He said: "I don't regret bringing the case at all.
"The reason I decided to go to court was not out of sour grapes, revenge, jealousy or anger. It was done out of heartache and sorrow."
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