Former Team GB rower, William Woodward-Fisher finds himself amidst a £36m lawsuit, launched by a billionaire oligarch’s daughter who has claimed that he sold her a ‘moth infested’ Notting Hill mansion. The plaintiff accuses him of delivering a property that would be more befitting of an ‘insect house at a zoo’, rather than the luxury residence one would expect.
The defendant, Woodward-Fisher, represented in the High Court by his lawyer Jonathan Seitler KC, ardently contests these allegations. They argue that the supposed presence of moths in the mansion has been hyperbolized out of proportion, morphing a commonly seen ‘base level’ of insect presence in London houses into a far more dramatic situation. The reality, they propose, is far from the fabled insect-plagued residence the plaintiff is portraying to the court and public.
‘My client has been unfairly represented in this case,’ insisted barrister Seitler. ‘It seems that some of the evidence is designed to paint a far grimmer picture of the property’s condition than the facts warrant. One may, judging from the portrayal, get the impression of being trapped in an insect house at a zoo rather than standing in a high-end Notting Hill mansion,’ the barrister said, his words filled with anger and determination to clear his client’s name.
Woodward-Fisher’s legal team is firmly standing their ground, fighting against the £36m lawsuit and asserting that their client is innocent. They have characterised the situation as a manipulation of an issue common among London homes, implying that the plaintiff, in characterising the residence as moth-infested, is being misleading.
‘The level of moth occurrence is comparable to any other residence in London. To say that the house is ‘moth-infested,’ would portray my client in a fraudulent light, which we will vehemently fight against.’ added Seitler, further highlighting the supposed exaggeration of the circumstances.
The case has sent shock waves throughout the high-end London property market, a community where a dispute of this magnitude has rarely been public. It raises concerns and questions about the legitimacy of claims made during high-value property transactions and whether such disputes can harm the reputation and credibility of notable individuals involved.
The plaintiff, choosing to remain unnamed due to the high profile nature of the lawsuit, continues to maintain that the luxury mansion is unfit for habitation due to the alleged insect invasion. Legal experts maintain that should the court rule in favour of the plaintiff, it could set precedence for future buyers to sue sellers over undisclosed or miscommunicated property conditions.
As the legal battle intensifies amid accusations and challenging testimonies, all eyes are on the High Court awaiting a decision that could reverberate across the city’s property landscape. Until then, Woodward-Fisher firmly stands by his claims and continues to fight the uncomfortable allegations thrown his way.
