Millionaire lawyer wins High Court battle against beauty queen wife for custody of Steinway grand piano

 
Lawyer: five-times-wed Richard Fields (Picture: Glenn Copus)
Tom Marshall19 May 2015

A millionaire American lawyer has won a battle with his beauty queen fifth wife for custody of a Steinway grand piano.

Richard Fields, 59, and his estranged Russian wife Ekaterina Fields, 42, are arguing at the High Court over £6million of assets following the collapse of their marriage.

Mr Fields appeared to score a victory today when the judge, Mr Justice Holman, said he should keep the baby grand worth $100,000 (about £64,000) at his home in New York.

Former beauty queen Mrs Field, who the judge heard was an amateur pianist but not proficient enough to play a Beethoven sonata, wanted the instrument shipped to her London home.

Beauty queen: Ekaterina Parfenova (Picture: Glenn Copus)

Mr Justice Holman said: "Assuming it was his before the marriage, I am just not going to say that the piano ought to be shipped from New York to England."

The judge added: "She is not going to get the piano."

Mr Fields, who does not play, was determined to keep the Steinway after losing another baby grand to his third wife.

Stephen Trowell QC, for Mr Fields, told the court: "That wife took the piano from him. He had to relinquish the piano. He wanted such a piano. He went out and bought another such piano."

The couple were married for about a decade and have two children.

The hearing continues and is due to end tomorrow. The judge is expected to announce his overall decision later this summer.

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