A London judge has begun overseeing a fight over money between a wealthy Swedish woman and her estranged husband.
Multi-millionaire Louise Backstrom, who lives in London, and Martin Wennberg are featuring in a private trial in the Family Division of the High Court.
Deputy High Court judge Leslie Samuels, who has been asked to make decisions about the division of money after the breakdown of the couple’s marriage, started considering arguments at a private hearing on Thursday.
Ms Backstrom was at the hearing, which is expected to end next week, but Mr Wennberg was not in court or represented by lawyers.
Mr Wennberg, who is also Swedish, wrote to ask for the trial to be adjourned but the judge dismissed his bid.
The judge allowed reporters to attend the hearing but placed limits on what information can be reported.
Detail of the litigation emerged in March, when Ms Backstrom complained that Mr Wennberg had breached court orders made during the dispute and was in contempt.
She had asked another judge to impose a jail sentence.
Mr Justice Peel, who considered Ms Backstrom’s contempt complaints at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London, ruled that Mr Wennberg had breached earlier orders made by judges.
The judge, who was told Ms Backstrom was 33 and Mr Wennberg 39, is due to make decisions about sentencing later in the year.
Ms Backstrom had appeared at the hearing before Mr Justice Peel; Mr Wennberg did not attend.
Lawyers representing Ms Backstrom told Mr Justice Peel the couple married in 2015 and separated six years later.
Barrister Tim Grey had represented Mr Wennberg at the hearing before Mr Justice Peel.
Mr Grey had asked for the hearing to be adjourned but Mr Justice Peel refused.
A barrister representing Ms Backstrom had described Mr Wennberg’s “lack of compliance” with court orders as “egregious”.
Michael Glaser KC had told Mr Justice Peel that Ms Backstrom considered Mr Wennberg’s “failure to engage” and “attempts to delay matters” to be a “calculated and deliberate litigation tactic”.
Mr Grey had told Mr Justice Peel there could be reasons why Mr Wennberg had not been able to comply with orders.
