Beatle could face biggest ever divorce payout

THERE was no sign of a settlement last night after the first of a scheduled five days of the Paul McCartney and Heather Mills divorce court battle.

He left with a polite but firm “No comment” ahead of his estranged wife, while a few moments later Miss Mills emerged from the courtroom.

Arm-in-arm with a female member of her entourage, she disappeared into the toilets and then returned to the court before finally leaving for the day.

It could have been the greatest divorce court drama in British legal history as the former model fought for her share of the former Beatle’s estimated £825 million (€1,100 million) fortune.

But the only information from Court 34 at the High Court in London was written on the door — Private No Admittance.

Former Beatle Sir Paul left the building with his barrister Nicholas Mostyn QC and the rest of his legal team.

Miss Mills, who is said to be representing herself in court, headed for her car with her make-up artist in an entourage of seven.

Miss Mills turned up this morning in a black Mercedes which came to rest in a disabled parking space alongside the court complex.

The former model, who lost part of a leg in a road accident in 1993, was ushered from behind the tinted windows of the vehicle and headed for the nearby court, its windows covered to stop anyone seeing through the doors.

Sir Paul arrived a few minutes later, smiling and looking relaxed but declining to comment on the hearing.

He was dressed in a dark pin-striped suit with a black and white knitted scarf draped casually around his neck.

Miss Mills was wearing a sober black top and skirt below the knee over a peach pink blouse and ankle boots.

Her long hair hung over her shoulders.

In the face of intense media interest she said nothing. He managed “Good morning”.

Sir Paul and Miss Mills will be battling over money and access to their child after a marriage that lasted less than four years.

Their daughter, Beatrice’s future will also figure large in the negotiations.

Sir Paul is at risk of now facing the biggest pay-out in British legal history.

But unless one of them takes issue with the settlement being hammered out behind closed doors in the Family Division of the High Court and goes to the Court of Appeal, the figures and details may never be known to the outside world.

There has been speculation among divorce experts, based on recent big money cases, that the settlement could reach £60 million.

This would exceed the record £48 million businessman John Charman was told by the courts to pay his former wife in May last year.