Colliers Wood woman in court win against ex who refused to wed ‘in case of a better offer

Court win: Kirsty Cahill
Richard Gittins/Champion News

A property developer who refused to marry his partner “in case someone better came along” has been stripped of the profit from the sale of a £1 million house by a judge.

Stephen George Farrer, 53, set out to “dominate and humiliate” Kirsty Cahill, 33, and repeatedly told her that he did not want to marry her, despite the couple being together for over a decade and having three children together.

In Christmas 2009, Mr Farrer got down on one knee in front of family members and produced an engagement ring, but later whispered in Miss Cahill’s ear: “Don’t think I am going to marry you, because I am not.”

Miss Cahill, who met Mr Farrer when she was a teenager, told the High Court that he often said he was not sure about marrying her in case of a better offer.

Legal bills: Stephen Farrer 
Richard Gittins/Champion News

In 2007, Mr Farrer bought a four-bedroom house in Colliers Wood for £140,000 and put it in Miss Cahill’s name. After the couple split up in 2012, he claimed that he had only put the house in her name to make it easier to get a mortgage.

But Judge Nigel Gerald ruled that Miss Cahill owned the property, which is now worth £1 million, and that she should keep the £296,000 profit from its sale last year.

Mr Farrer, of Harbledown, Canterbury, could face legal bills of up to £150,000 and was ordered to pay £40,000 within a month. Miss Cahill, who has a new partner, told the court that the Colliers Wood house was put in her name to give her security in case of Mr Farrer’s death or a break-up.

“Stephen did not want to get married,” she said. “Within the relationship, I did not feel very safe because of comments Stephen would make to me. On several occasions, he said to me, ‘I am not sure I want to marry you in case someone better comes along’, which is not particularly reassuring.”

The court heard that Miss Cahill was “besotted by, wholly dependent on and trusting of him” and relied on an allowance from Mr Farrer.

Home: The house is now worth £1 million
Richard Gittins/Champion News

Mr Farrer worked while she stayed at home and looked after their children, which the judge said was “rather old-fashioned”. He added: “Perhaps unattractively, he said to her that he would not marry her in case somebody else better came along. That sort of comment… gives an indication of a tendency to dominate and humiliate.

“On Christmas Day 2009, Mr Farrer went down on bended knee in front of the whole family and opened a little box containing his grandmother’s engagement ring. He gave it to Ms Cahill, before later telling her not to get her hopes up because he would not be marrying her.

“That sort of public humiliation — raising false expectations only to be diminished at a time not two months after the birth of their third child — gives an insight into the nature of the relationship between these two people, separated by 20 years.

“In my judgment, it is clear that the property is absolutely owned by Ms Cahill and Mr Farrer has no beneficial or other interest in that property.”

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