Ex-wife of 'Scotland's richest man' settled divorce battle for eye-watering sum
A woman who married one of Scotland's richest men has settled their bitter divorce battle out of court for less than £125,000.
Phyllis McLeish, managing director of Kilmarnock FC, was hoping to recieve £16.5million from her ex-husband Alan McLeish. The former couple went back and fourth for three years before they decided on the hefty sum. Alan, who sold his rail maintenance company QTS for £80m is believed to have also agreed to stump up the costs for half the value of two lavish properties that they owned in Spain.
The case was set to be heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland, over the course of eight days, but Phyllis agreed to the proposed sum. The divorce proceedings were eventually concluded in late January, according to The Sunday Mail. Phyllis, 59, had previously received £15million when her husband sold QTS in 2018. However, she was seeking further payment for what she claimed was her role in turning the company into what it was, with her ex husband disputing this.
It is understood the former couple have both run up substantial six figure legal bills over the divorce action. They met in 2008, married in a ceremony in the five star Trump Turnberry Hotel, Ayrshire, in 2013 and separated in 2019. They each have three grown up children from previous marriages.
The Sunday Mail previously revealed how Alan won a £5million damages action, also at the Court of Session, after he was defrauded in a bogus PPE deal. He was told that the scheme to supply the US Government was worth $2.4billion by merchant banker Christopher Shute and Australian-based Scots businessman Graeme Paterson. He had loaned £5.5million to secure release of the cash from a New York law firm. In May 2021, Alan then discovered that the firm knew nothing of the transaction and had never held the $2.4billion.
'Invisible' mirror home hits market for $18million – made entirely of glass
Phyllis McLeish accepted the sum which was less than one per cent of what she was originally seeking (Kilmarnock Standard)He successfully sued both Shute and Paterson at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in October 2023 and was awarded the cash earlier this month. Alan founded QTS as Quality Tree Surgeons in 1991 with £300 borrowed from his mum Anne to buy a chainsaw. His earliest contracts were clearing vegetation next to railway lines and from there he built a multi-million pound empire after he moved into railway maintenance. Mcleish’s firm, based in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, was a jersey sponsor for Kilmarnock for 10 years while his family have invested several millions in Rangers.
QTS was sold to Leeds based engineering and construction group Renew. Alan, who had left school, without any qualifications, was kept on as managing director. Last week, he declined to comment on the outcome of his divorce action. However a source close to both parties: “It has been a difficult 12 months for Alan with the two multi million court actions involving his divorce and the PPE damages claim. He didn’t want things to go this far, particularly with the divorce. Alan now wants to put it all behind him and get on with his life.”
Phyllis Mcleish took over as Kilmarnock MD last year having been a board member at the SPFL Premiership side since 2018. She is a former commercial director at QTS. The source added: “Everyone thought they would get back together. But now that the divorce is done and dusted it appears not. They both want to carry on with their lives now, albeit Alan will be far happier with the outcome than Phyllis.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
