Hedge fund boss 'attacked wife who asked for divorce'... but he tells court she set him up and spread rumours so he'd be blackballed by his golf club

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His £100 million fortune allowed David Gorton and his wife Yalda to live a gilded lifestyle.

But within the confines of their multi-million-pound properties, their relationship became increasing bitter.

And yesterday accusations of assault, slander and drug-taking were laid bare in court.

Mrs Gorton, 37, claims her drunken husband attacked her on Christmas Day last year in their £1million Grade II-listed Norfolk farmhouse after she launched divorce proceedings. 

City hedge fund manager David Gorton, 52 (pictured left leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court) allegedly attacked his wife Yalda (right) while they were spending Christmas at their countryside retreat 

The couple had been spending the festive period at their lavish bolthole in Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

She says he grabbed her by the hair and pushed her against a wall before following her upstairs where he raised his hand towards her.

Mrs Gorton told Westminster magistrates: ‘Our gardener, a very sturdy Slovakian guy, came and took David and put him in the middle of a field.’

Two weeks earlier, Gorton, 52, grabbed his wife by the shoulders in the dressing room of their £4million townhouse in Kensington, west London, it was said.

She reported both incidents to the police two days after Christmas and recorded an apology from him on her mobile phone, it was alleged.

Gorton, a hedge fund manager worth £100million according to the Sunday Times rich list, denies assault and claims it was ‘a set-up’ to get him arrested. 

During their fallout, he claims she spread rumours about him to prevent him joining Brancaster Golf Club on the north Norfolk coast. 

Gorton allegedly grabbed his wife (pictured at The Riviera Ball in Portugal last week) by the hair and pushed her against a wall. But Gorton allegedly told officers that he only 'pinched' his partner after she provoked him

Mrs Gorton (pictured) alleges that her 'controlling' husband followed her upstairs before raising his hand

The court heard how Mrs Gorton called the police after finding a brown paper package containing drugs in a drawer of her husband’s desk in their Kensington home.

Gorton was interviewed by officers and had his gun licence suspended. 

When his wife discovered he had attended a shoot on a country estate she allegedly phoned the police again, claiming he was using his gun. Police took no action over the drugs allegation.

The court was told that the incidents unfolded after divorce proceedings between the pair had begun. 

Mrs Gorton was said to have been unhappy with the prenuptial agreement she signed before their wedding five years ago and had asked for an extra £500,000 a year in maintenance.

She also wanted her husband to sell one of his paintings so she could use the funds to buy a £6million house.

Gorton (pictured) claimed his wife spread rumours about him to prevent him joining Brancaster Golf Club

The couple also shared a £4million home in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Describing Christmas Day, she told District Judge Richard Blake: ‘He had been drinking a lot. I was taking my shoes off and I see David coming from the corridor straight towards me.He grabbed my hair and pushed me against the wall.’ 

The court heard a recording of the alleged incident in which Mrs Gorton says: ‘Ow, ow. He’s pulling my hair. Why is he pulling my hair?’

During cross-examination, defence barrister Orlando Pownall QC, suggested she had engineered the whole situation to get her husband arrested.

‘You didn’t want to get on with your life until you had had your revenge on your former husband,’ he said.

‘You wanted him out of the house and the way to get him out of the house was to make false allegations against him.

‘You just wanted to thwart his lawful opportunity to enjoy himself, you wanted to have him arrested, to put further pressure on him and to humiliate him, didn’t you? 

During yesterday's hearing, an audio of the alleged assault at the farmhouse (pictured: a road leading to the property) was played to the court, in which Mrs Gorton could be heard saying: 'Ow, ow. He's pulling my hair'

'You are vengeful and manipulative and it is you who are controlling.  

'He just gently pulled your hair and as soon as he did it you looked at him and you almost had a smile on your face and you said “that’s assault”, didn’t you?’ 

Gorton admitted to police that he had ‘probably drunk too much’. 

He said: ‘I cracked and said “for f***’s sake” or something like that, but she carries on. I wanted to get out of the house but she was standing by the door. 

‘I grabbed a little piece of her hair. I shouldn’t have done it. She was screaming “this is abuse” straight away like it was a set-up.’

Gorton denies two counts of assault. 

The trial continues. 

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