Posted on 10/18/2006 2:58:14 PM PDT by COUNTrecount
Sir Paul McCartney has hit back at the claims made by his estranged wife Heather Mills that he repeatedly attacked her.
In a statement issued by his lawyers, the Beatles pop star said: "Since the breakdown of his marriage Sir Paul McCartney has maintained his silence in not commenting on the media stories believing that it was best for all concerned, particularly his children, for there to be some dignity in what is a private matter.
"Our client would very much like to respond in public and in detail to the allegations made recently against him by his wife and published in the press but he recognises, on advice, that the only correct forum for his response to the allegations made against him is in the current divorce proceedings.
"Our client will be defending these allegations vigorously and appropriately. Our client is saddened by the breakdown of his marriage and requests that his family is allowed to conduct their personal affairs out of the media spotlight for the sake of everybody involved."
The response came on the day Heather Mills accused her estranged husband Paul McCartney of repeated violence against her.
Explosive court papers lodged by her lawyers in their £1billion divorce battle portray him as a 'vindictive' man who once tried to choke her and even attacked her while she was pregnant.
In an extraordinary escalation of their dispute, Miss Mills claims in the documents that the ex-Beatle:
Subjected her to four violent attacks, including one in which he stabbed her in the arm with a broken wine glass. Continued to use illegal drugs and drink excessively, despite promises made before they married. Hurled abuse at his wife, calling her an 'ungrateful bitch'. Tried to prevent her breastfeeding, saying: 'They are my breasts.' Made her cancel a crucial operation because it interfered with his holiday plans. Objected 'vociferously' when she asked to buy an antique bedpan to save her crawling to the toilet at night. In the papers, which will form the basis of her bid for a share of Sir Paul's estimated £1billion fortune, she claims he became 'physically violent' and acted in a 'vindictive, punitive manner' towards her.
A series of episodes are described in which she alleges he physically attacked her.
In Los Angeles, in November 2002, the papers say, he 'grabbed her by the neck and pushed her over a coffee table'.
He then went outside and, in his allegedly drunken state, fell down a hill, cutting his arm, which remains scarred Later, in May 2003, while Miss Mills was four weeks' pregnant, she claims Sir Paul became 'angry and pushed' her into a bath. She says she suffered 'shock and distress'.
On Long Island, in August 2003, Miss Mills asked Sir Paul if he had been smoking marijuana and claims he became 'very angry, yelled at her, grabbed her neck and started choking her'.
In April 2006, as the marriage neared collapse, Sir Paul allegedly tipped red wine from a bottle over his wife's head and then threw what remained in his glass at her.
The divorce papers claim that Sir Paul 'then reached to grab the respondent's (Miss Mills's) wine glass, and broke the bowl of the glass from the stem.
'He then lunged at the respondent with the broken, sharp stem of the wine glass, which cut and pierced the respondent's arm just below the elbow, and it began to bleed profusely.
'He proceeded to manhandle the respondent, flung her into her wheelchair and wheeled it outside, screaming at her to apologise for "winding him up".' Miss Mills 'still bears the scars of the assault', the papers say.
The papers allege that Sir Paul humiliated his wife, or ignored her needs. After the birth of their daughter Beatrice in 2003, he forced his exhausted wife to 'accompany him everywhere' still with no regard to her physical or disability needs, they claim.
'Forced to crawl on hands and knees'
In April 2006, it is claimed, Miss Mills - who lost a leg in a road accident in 1993 - was forced to crawl on her hands and knees up the steps of a plane because they were not wide enough for her wheelchair and Sir Paul had not made other arrangements.
Sir Paul allegedly told his wife during her pregnancy she should not breastfeed because 'they are my breasts'. He is alleged to have told her: 'I don't want a mouthful of breastmilk.'
She breastfed for six weeks, but gave up because Sir Paul would constantly interrupt her during feeds which left her 'miserable and demoralised', the papers say.
In November 2005, Sir Paul is alleged to have forced her to defer an essential and already once-cancelled operation on her leg because it 'interfered with his holiday plans'.
The papers claim Sir Paul vomited on himself after a drinking session towards the end of their relationship and staggered home drunk and slurring, demanding his dinner.
On April 28 this year, with the Sir Paul has signalled his marriage 'irretrievably broken determination not to be down', Miss Mills left the family painted as the villain. His divorce petition allegedly cites his wife's 'unreasonable behaviour'.
His claims that she was 'argumentative' and 'rude to staff' during their marriage were leaked, along with the assertion that she reneged on a deal to take £30million in exchange for a painless divorce.
Miss Mills has hired the lawyer who won Princess Diana her £17million settlement from Prince Charles.
She replaced her long-standing lawyer Stephen Taylor with Anthony Julius, of Mishcon de Reya. Sir Paul will be represented by Fiona Shackleton, who took Charles's side in 1996. Last night, a spokesman for Sir Paul refused to comment. Mishcon de Reya said it would not comment on leaked or allegedly leaked documents.
But a statement added: 'The law firm can however confirm that Lady Heather Mills McCartney stands by everything that has been filed at court on her behalf and intend to prove its truth in due course, should this be necessary.
Miss Mills's spokesman said last night: 'I can't confirm the validity of these documents. I can only refer you to Heather's lawyers.'
Regards, Ivan
My God...Ringo's wife has certainly made one or two visits to a plastic surgeon.
theres no fool,like an old fool
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