Wealthy divorcee sues lover by serving legal papers on him using WhatsApp

A divorcee already worth £90 million has won the right to fight to sue her former lover in the UK over tens of millions of assets after serving court papers on him via WhatsApp.

Mandy Gray, 50, is fighting Hamish Hurley, 46, her former fitness coach and physiotherapist after branding him an "emotionally abusive gold digger".

She had insisted the row, which involves assets spread across the globe, should be resolved by the UK courts, while Mr Hurley wanted it decided in his native New Zealand.

In what is thought to be the first case of its kind to be reported in open court, Mr Justice Lavender ruled on Tuesday that it had been valid for Ms Gray to serve vital court documents on her him using the WhatsApp message platform while he was in New Zealand and decided the case must therefore be decided in the UK.

Ms Gray was previously married to the wealthy American investment banker, Randy Work, walking away with a £90m settlement after they separated in 2013.

She then began an intense six-year relationship with Mr Hurley, her former personal health coach, during which they "led an international lifestyle and travelled the world".

The High Court heard that Ms Gray and Mr Hurley are now fighting over assets worth over £20m, including a fleet of supercars, which Ms Gray says she owns, but which he maintains are "jointly owned", a farm in New Zealand and an Italian villa.

The car collection includes a Ferrari 458 Speciale, a Pagani Huayra Coupe, a Pagani Zonda R and a Ferrari F1.

The court heard that when their relationship began Mr Hurley had been Ms Gray's personal coach at the KX Gym in Chelsea, west London, where he worked as a neuromuscular therapist.

In January this year Ms Gray ended the relationship despite him proposing marriage “on several occasions", the judge noted.

Mr Hurley, who has launched a rival lawsuit in New Zealand, is claiming a share of the assets, saying they were handed to him as gifts by Ms Gray during their relationship.

However, she says that it was her who provided the money to buy the disputed assets and that she never intended to "gift" any part of them to Mr Hurley.

Ordering the fight to be heard by UK judges, Mr Justice Lavander said: "Ms Gray issued the claim form in the present action and obtained an order for alternative service, pursuant to which she served the claim form on Mr Hurley by WhatsApp message. I conclude that Ms Gray was entitled to serve the claim form on Mr Hurley out of the jurisdiction.”

The judge also said that England was the last known country in which Mr Hurley had made his home at the time Ms Gray launched her lawsuit.

He added: "England was his last known domicile... I have come to the conclusion that England is clearly the appropriate forum for the trial of Ms Gray's claims.

"It was in England more than anywhere else that the relationship at issue was carried on and that Ms Gray entered into transactions or authorised payments, allegedly acting under Mr Hurley's undue influence and without intending to make gifts to him.”

Jonathan Cohen, Ms Gray's QC, claimed Mr Hurley "expended approximately £7m million of Ms Gray's money on failed internet marketing business ventures in the United States", adding: "She was no more than Hurley's vehicle for his enrichment and he was the archetypal gold-digger, par excellence."

But Mr Hurley's barrister,  James Bailey QC,  flatly rejected the claims, pointing to 40,000 social media messages the pair had exchanged.

He added that during their time together they bought property around the world, with Ms Gray "providing the funds for their joint life together - building for their future. But now she has changed her mind about Hamish, she wants it all back".