(1) Amanda Stephanie Clutterbuck (2) Ian Scranton Paton v Sara Mohammed Saleh Al Amoudi 2013-2014

Jonathan Seitler QC and Emer Murphy successfully represented the defendant Ms Al Amoudi, dubbed ‘the Vamp in the Veil’ by the Daily Mail, in this explosive claim brought by two high-profile Central London property developers, a common law wife and husband.

The Claimants alleged that Ms Al Amoudi pretended to be an immensely wealthy Saudi Arabian princess, and persuaded them to transfer to her millions of pounds in cash and property in the expectation of carrying out joint high-end property developments in Knightsbridge.

Defending the claim, Ms Al Amoudi asserted that she had been in a relationship with Mr Paton (the common law husband), and that the cash and property transfers complained of were repayments of monies she had previously loaned to him in the context of their affair.

A four week trial involving over 30 witnesses took place in July and November 2013, raising issues of property joint venture, fraud, misrepresentation, contract and trust.  Mrs Justice Asplin’s judgment dismissing the claim was handed down in February 2014:  Clutterbuck v Al Amoudi [2014] EWHC 383 (Ch)

Download the Judgment (Crown copyright)