Fashion designer, 53, was discovered hanged after £6.9m divorce battle

A trend guide, whose millionaire ex-husband was accused of ‘deplorable’  behaviour of their £6.9million divorce battle, was discovered hanged at her house three days earlier than Christmas, an inquest heard at present.

Property mogul Nicholas Ratcliffe, now 64, used CCTV cameras to spy on his ex-wife Tracey in a dispute branded ‘among the many most acrimonious’ a courtroom had ever seen.

In a ‘creepy’ bid to drive her out of their £1.3million Cheshire marital house, he had additionally locked inner doorways to limit her actions, and left Post-it notes on kitchen gadgets saying ‘clear me’, it heard.

But in 2021 Appeal Court judges backed Mr Ratcliffe’s bid to overturn his ex-wife’s £3.45million pay-out after accepting his wealth had been ‘overstated’.

Tragically, the mother-of-two was discovered lifeless over Christmas, with the native coroner launching an investigation.

Today a short listening to at Manchester South coroner’s courtroom in Stockport heard Ms Ratcliffe was discovered hanged at her house on December 22 final 12 months aged 53.

There have been no suspicious circumstances, assistant coroner Andrew Bridgman informed the inquest opening, which was not attended by any household or mates.

The location of her loss of life was given as a semi-detached home in Sale, Greater Manchester, which property information present she purchased with out a mortgage final May for £455,000.

Adjourning the listening to to a full inquest scheduled for June, Mr Bridgman stated Ms Ratcliffe’s GP information and any interactions with psychological well being companies would should be disclosed.

Friends spoke of their devastation following her untimely loss of life.

Describing her as ‘an absolute diamond of a good friend’, they recalled her as ‘an exquisite particular person’ who was ‘all the time dressed to the nines’.

She was dwelling along with her dad and mom and learning for a enterprise diploma at Liverpool University when she met her future husband in 1992, marrying him two years later.

Ten years her senior, he was a chartered surveyor who went on to earn most of his cash as a guide discovering potential websites for Sainsbury’s supermarkets.

 Ms Ratcliffe didn’t pursue a profession after having the primary of their two sons, a courtroom listening to over her divorce pay-out was informed.

Instead she labored as a part of Mr Ratcliffe’s property enterprise which additionally now employs each their sons.

The couple separated in 2016 however continued to stay below the identical roof at their luxurious house in prosperous Bowdon, close to Altrincham.

However in response to Ms Ratcliffe’s barrister, Anne Hussey QC, he launched into a ‘creepy’ bid to drive her out.

‘Despite being conscious of her ‘fragile psychological well being’, the husband confirmed a ‘deplorable degree of management’ and launched into a marketing campaign ‘designed to drive the spouse from the household house’,’ she stated.

‘The husband’s behaviour – discovered to incorporate putting in and utilizing CCTV to watch the spouse within the former matrimonial house and locking inner doorways – was described within the first judgment as ‘creepy’.’

In 2018, Mr Ratcliffe was lastly ordered to depart the household house by a choose and moved into rented lodging.

Two years later Judge Bernard Wallwork ordered an equal break up of a household fortune he assessed as value about £6.9million.

The sum factored in earnings from a multi-million pound luxurious improvement on prime rural land he partly owned close to Knutsford.

Ruling on the case, he stated: ‘This case ranks among the many most acrimonious monetary treatment circumstances I’ve ever handled.

‘The bitterness and rancour has been appreciable and has permeated the proceedings.’

He slammed Mr Ratcliffe’s perspective in direction of his spouse, notably given he knew she had been struggling with psychological well being issues.

‘I believe his behaviour has been designed to drive the spouse from the household house – and I’m stressing the phrases ‘her house’,’ he stated.

‘It seems to me that figuring out of the spouse’s fragile psychological well being these actions have been oppressive.’

As properly as getting the £1.3million house and useful shares, he ordered that Ms Ratcliffe be paid £1.2million in money instalments.

She can be left with as a lot liquid money as potential as a result of ‘deviousness’ of Mr Ratcliffe throughout the divorce proceedings, stated the choose.

But Mr Ratcliffe appealed, in a transfer the ex-wife’s attorneys described as one other instance of his ‘controlling’ behaviour.

The following 12 months Appeal Court judges overturned the award after accepting his wealth had been ‘overstated’ by ‘double-counting’ and the unique determination was ‘flawed’.

They ordered that the case be heard and determined once more.

It will not be recognized whether or not a last settlement had been agreed previous to Ms Ratcliffe’s loss of life.

She was a well known determine promoting classic garments at Altrincham Market, and merchants paid a shifting tribute forward of her funeral in January.

‘Your passing has left us with heavy hearts,’ they wrote.

Praising her ‘bubbly character, infectious laughter, and impeccable sense of fashion’, they added: ‘She introduced happiness and humour into our lives, and he or she had an unimaginable assortment of classic clothes that gave our neighbourhood a one-of-a-kind look due to her contribution.

‘Tracey was greater than only a good friend.

‘Her upbeat power and infectious laughter grew to become indispensable elements of the full of life atmosphere that characterises our neighborhood after she handed away.

‘As a results of her contributions, each within the realm of enterprise and friendship, she left an indelible mark on everybody who got here into contact along with her.

‘As we come collectively to recollect her, our ideas are along with her household, mates, and anybody else whose life she touched along with her sort and beneficiant spirit.

‘Tracey will likely be sorely missed, and the void that will likely be left behind by her absence will likely be keenly felt by every considered one of us right here at Alty Market.’

For confidential help, name Samaritans on 116 123, go to samaritans.org or go to thecalmzone.web