I understand he’s upset and he has a right to be, but that was a pretty ugly thing to do to the girl he raised as his daughter.
From the article:
When the case started, Elspeth was not involved. The request for repayment went only to Lydia and Mr Mottram. I refused to talk to the children about it and didn’t call them as witnesses in court because neither I nor my lawyers thought it was right. It was Lydia’s team who called Elspeth.’
Of course, it would be naive to think that she would 'never' find out what had happened. It's a sad situation all 'round.
Mom did it, not him. She is the deceiver and the cause of the situation.