Last Updated: 18/03/2008 15:19

Mills 'tried to ruin McCartney's reputation'

Heather Mills deliberately tried to ruin former Beatle Paul McCartney's reputation, according to the judge who ruled in their acrimonious divorce settelment.

The judgment settling financial details of her divorce was revealed today after Mills lost her bid to stop it from being published in full.

Lord Justice Nicholas Wall and Lord Justice Matthew Thorpe refused her leave to appeal against the ruling that the judgment should be made public.

McCartney (65) married the former model and charity campaigner Mills (40) in 2002 but they separated four years later, blaming media intrusion into their private lives. They have a daughter, Beatrice, aged four.

Yesterday, London's High Court ordered McCartney to pay his estranged wife £24.3 million (€30.8 million). The settlement was only a fifth of the sum she had sought but still gave her the equivalent of about £16,600 (€21,000) for each day of her four-year marriage.

The ruling by Mr Justice Bennett says Mills was a "less than impressive witness" whose evidence was "not just inconsistent and inaccurate but also less than candid". However, he said she was a "kindly person" who is "devoted to her charitable causes".

The judge described McCartney's evidence as balanced. "He expressed himself moderately though at times with justifiable irritation, if not anger. He was consistent, accurate and honest."

Mr Justice Bennett told both the parties during the hearing that neither would be allowed to introduce allegations about the other's conduct during and after the marriage.

In the judgment released today, the judge said Mills had alleged that before their separation at the end of April 2006, McCartney had treated her abusively and violently, assaulting her at least once.

Mills, who lost a leg when she was knocked down by a police motorbike in 1993, said he abused alcohol and drugs and was possessive and jealous and was insensitive to her disability.

"Furthermore, it is alleged that post separation the husband manipulated and colluded with the press against the wife and has failed to enforce confidentiality by his friends and associates."

McCartney alleged that Mills had bugged his telephone, in particular a call between him and his daughter, Stella, in which the daughter made "very unflattering" comments about her.

It was alleged that Mills, or someone acting on her behalf, then leaked all or part of her divorce papers to the media which contained distorted or untrue allegations about the musician in an attempt to discredit him. "Individually and collectively these actions, it is said, represent a deliberate attempt by the wife to ruin the husband's reputation," Mr Justice Bennett said.

The judge said both parties accuse one another of leaking the documents.

McCartney alleged in his petition to the court that Mills verbally abused him, was extremely jealous, had made untrue allegations of violence and that throughout the marriage the wife had shown "a consistent inability to tell the truth".

The judge did not take into account any of the allegations in his decision over the financial award.