Divorce dispute leads to prison sentence

A wealthy businessman has been jailed for contempt of court after failing to disclose full details of his financial situation during his divorce, reports the Independent.

Michelle Young claimed that her husband, who was thought to have been worth around £400 million, had hidden substantial assets after the couple separated in 2006.

Scot Young claimed to have lost his fortune in a failed property deal, and maintained that he was now penniless. According to Mrs Young’s lawyers however, he continued to live the lifestyle of a wealthy man, and failed to give his wife an adequate explanation of where the money had gone.

After a number of attempts to obtain the financial details, the judge finally lost his patience with Mr Young and sentenced him to a six month prison term.

The terms of the couple’s divorce remain unresolved, and will have to be settled through a court hearing, which the Independent reports is due to take place later this year.