THE estranged wife of a Teignbridge millionaire hotelier has been cleared of assaulting him during an argument over finances.

Fiona Richardson, 47, was accused of beating 77-year-old Keith Richardson at his home in Coffinswell last December. She’d pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing and the case was taken to trial at Torquay Magistrates’ Court last week.

Mr Richardson, who owns five hotels including the Grand and Grosvener in Torquay, told magistrates his wife became angry and repeatedly hit him in the head and face, causing his glasses to cut his nose.

But Mrs Richardson claimed she merely pushed him because he was bullying her and gloating, saying ‘you’re a s**t wife. I’m rich and I’ll do what I like.’

The incident happened on December 3 when the pair met up to discuss financial issues around their divorce, three months after they’d split.

The pair, who were married in 2011 and have two children, met at Mr Richardson’s house in the morning.

Mrs Richardson said her husband was angry at her when she arrived, because she’d previously phoned him at work to chase a late maintenance payment.

During their conversation Mr Richardson told her about a letter from his lawyer, which she read on her phone, including a statement saying she needed to pay legal costs because she’d been late with some information.

Mr Richardson said his wife then became very angry, threatened to kill him and beat him repeatedly.

He said: ‘I think my wife that day was expecting a cheque but my lawyers said that is not the case. She checked with her lawyers and then started shouting at me, telling me she had no money and called me a f***ing adulterer.

‘I was just sitting there nonplussed then she got up and came at me and said I’m going to f***ing kill you. It came out of the blue. I wasn’t expecting her to lash out at me. She hit me with both hands six or seven times to the face and hit my glasses which then dug into the bridge of my nose. I felt blood coming down my nose and rang the police.’

Mrs Richardson said she went to her husband’s home to talk and make friends with him for the sake of their two children.

She said: ‘I asked him to formalise an agreement. I didn’t want him to have to sell any of his hotels.

‘He was cross when I arrived and told me not to phone him at work again. I asked him not to be so mean with money and set up a standing order for maintenance payments for the future.

‘Then he showed me the letter from his lawyers. I was sitting on a chair and I fell to my knees in front of him, and begged him to be honorable and do this with dignity. I begged him to just be kind. I was devastated.

‘He was gloating and bullying me, and in my face shouting at me. I was pushing him away because he just goes on and on. He leant over me and said “you’re a s**t wife. I’m rich and I’ll do what I like”.

‘I pushed him in his chest and then he threw himself on to the side of the sofa. When he put his head up his glasses had hit the back of his nose and there was blood on his face.

‘I left the room to get tissues but when I returned he was on the phone to the police.’

The police report said when they arrived they found Mr Richardson sat with his head in his hands, tearful and upset, and with a visible injury to the bridge of his nose. Mrs Richardson was also very tearful and upset and said to police: ‘I’m sorry I hit him, he’s really cruel, you don’t know what he’s like.’

Mrs Richardson’s lawyer said she was in a state of shock when the police arrived, and didn’t realise the gravity of what she was saying. She thought the police were there to help her too.

Mrs Richardson said her marriage had hit the rocks in January 2015 when she found an email confirming her husband had been on holiday to America with another woman. The couple tried relationship counselling but the marriage could not be saved.

Delivering their verdict, chairman of the magistrates bench Mr Payne said: ‘Both witnesses are credible and there are no independent witnesses. We’re not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mrs Richardson assaulted Mr Richardson so find the defendant not guilty.’

Outside of the court Mrs Richardson, now living at Edginswell Lane, Kingskerswell, said: ‘I’m so relieved it’s all over, it’s been awful. It’s been a complete waste of court time and I’ve been through so much stress and anxiety the last six months over this. I’m going to go home and concentrate on my children now.’