Not a penny more, tycoon tells ex-wife

A TYCOON ordered to split his fortune equally with his ex-wife has told her she will not see a penny of the extra cash, it was revealed today.

Shan Lambert - a plumber's daughter - made history earlier this month when the Appeal Court said she was entitled to a half share of her 58-year-old former husband Harry ' s pounds 20 . 2 million fortune.

The 50-year-old mother of two had already been awarded cash and property worth a total of pounds 7.5 million - but the three appeal judges ruled that was not enough and ordered her ex-husband to come up with an extra pounds 2.6 million.

As Mrs Lambert sat in court today, however, it was revealed by her counsel Nicholas Mostyn that Mr Lambert had telephoned her from his home in Thailand and told her: "You will never get a penny of this."

As Lord Justice Thorpe, sitting with Lord Justice May and Mr Justice Bodey, also ordered Mr Lambert to pay the estimated pounds 1million legal costs of the case, it was revealed he has moved virtually all his assets out of the court's jurisdiction. Mr Mostyn said that a year ago Mr Lambert had pounds 3.75 million in cash and pounds 2million in stocks and shares.

The publishing tycoon's own counsel, Martin Pointer QC, told the judges that was no longer the case and apart from a few hundred thousand pounds in cash for his everyday living needs, all his money was tied up in property in Monaco and the South of France.

Mr Pointer also said they had not been able to contact Mr Lambert to take proper instructions.

Lord Justice Thorpe replied: "He may be in Thailand but it really won't do as an excuse that he has disappeared from sight and view.

"What has happened to the pounds 5.75million that was there a year ago?" The judges also refused Mr Lambert permission to appeal to the House of Lords and ordered him to pay interest on the additional lump sum of pounds 2.6 million and on the pounds 650,000 his former wife has had to pay her own legal team.

He also has to pay his own costs of around pounds 350,000.

The couple married in 1974 and lived together for 23 years before separating in 1997.

Mr Lambert was a pioneer of free newspapers paid for by advertising, and made his fortune from the Kent based Adscene group.

He sold the business after his marriage broke up two years ago for around pounds 20million and first moved to Monaco before settling in Thailand.

After a bitter battle over the family fortune last October, High Court Family Division judge Mr Justice Connell gave Mrs Lambert the pounds 1.8 million family home, Ringleton Manor, near Sandwich, other assets worth pounds 2.8 million and a lump sum of pounds 3.1 million.

But in raising her lump sum to pounds 5,751,474 to give the pair an equal share, Lord Justice Thorpe said at the time: "It is unacceptable to place a greater value on the contribution of the breadwinner than that of the homemaker as a justification for dividing the product of the breadwinner's efforts unequally between them."

Mrs Lambert had raised their two children, a son and daughter both currently at university, who are independently wealthy from a family trust created for them by their parents. Mr Lambert had claimed he was entitled to a bigger share because he built up the business and his wife's contribution amounted to no more than " children and microwave".

Mrs Lambert left court today with her solicitor and refused to comment.

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