UK couple allowed to hand back £32m mansion over 'severe moth infestation'

Iya Patarkatsishvili, 41, and her hubby Dr Yevhen Hunyak, 51, successfully sued the vendor of their £32.5m London mansion - aft helium failed to notation a terrible moth infestation successful the contract

A Russian Billionaire's girl who bought a £32.5m mansion successful London before realising it had a "severe moth infestation" tin present instrumentality it and get astir of the wealth back, a High Court justice has ruled.

Iya Patarkatsishvili, 41, and her hubby Dr Yevhen Hunyak, 51, successfully sued William Woodward-Fisher – the vendor of their property in Notting Hill – aft the justice agreed helium made "fraudulent misrepresentations" when failing to notation the moth issue successful the pre-contract enquiries.

The couple, who purchased Horbury Villa successful May 2019, antecedently said they were forced to instal 400 traps astir the 11,000 quadrate ft mansion aft uncovering the critters on their toothbrushes and successful their clothes. They besides had to propulsion their vino down the drain aft uncovering moths floating inside.

Mr Woodward-Fisher, 68, claimed helium did not cognize of immoderate vermin infestation oregon of immoderate hidden defect successful the spot - which came with its ain excavation and spa, gym, vino room, room and cinema. But the gathering was recovered to person a "serious" infestation successful the insulation - noted doubly by pest power companies earlier it was sold.

The mates antecedently claimed they would person to "knock down each partition successful the property" to get escaped of the infestation. In a abstracted proceeding successful December past year, Jonathan Seitler KC, defending Mr Woodward-Fisher, said it would beryllium "impossible" for him to judge the location back, and accused the mates of having "substantially degraded" their "super-prime property" since they bought it successful 2019 done "neglect".

He claimed they had "introduced a vermin infestation into the spot successful the signifier of mice and rodents," arsenic good arsenic issues with "flies and alert larvae" linked to Dr Hunyak's wont of keeping "a precise ample enactment of fruit" successful his bedroom. The barrister besides claimed "rising damp, penetrating damp, leaks to the extortion and terrace, and worn and soiled finishes and carpets, among different issues" had been caused since the sale.

Mr Woodward-Fisher besides powerfully denied immoderate wrongdoing, telling the tribunal helium was advised that the moths bash not suffice arsenic vermin. Mr Justice Fancourt has present ruled that the mates should get a repayment for immoderate of the £32.5m they paid erstwhile purchasing the property, little an magnitude to instrumentality into relationship the years they did unrecorded there.

They were besides awarded "substantial damages", including the stamp work onshore tax, their expenses successful seeking to exterminate the moths, and £15,000 for ruined clothes. Ms Patarkatsishvili, a theatre director, is the girl of precocious businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili, who was Georgia's richest man, and died of bosom nonaccomplishment successful 2008, aged 52.

After his death, a household spokesperson said fractional of his £9.69bn luck would spell to Mr Patarkatsishvili's woman and the remainder to his children and mother. Dr Hunyak is simply a paediatric dentist and laminitis of a backstage children's dental radical successful Chelsea, westbound London.