It was the first time they had faced each other since the
revelation of her torrid affair with John Terry.
But in her black stiletto heels, dark jacket and skin-tight
trousers, Vanessa Perroncel was fighting for far more than her
already tarnished reputation..
Her former partner, footballer Wayne Bridge, 29, took her to
court today convinced that she had been paid up to £800,000 in hush
money by Terry not to talk about their affair.
Vanessa Perroncel smiled
as she left the family division of the London's High Court
today
The former underwear
model had looked calm and happy as she arrived at court this
morning
At London’s High Court, Bridge’s lawyers argued that the alleged
'bung' from the disgraced England captain should mean he pays less
in monthly maintenance to Miss Perroncel, 33, and their
three-year-old son, Jaydon.
Miss Perroncel has insisted she had never received any money
from Bridge’s former Chelsea and England team-mate Terry after
their five-month relationship was exposed.
Terry, who is a married father of twins, moved in on the former
lingerie model last year after she split with Bridge following his
move from Chelsea to Manchester City.
Wayne Bridge leaves the
high court after failing to agree on maintenance payments with his
ex-partner
Perroncel with Bridge at
a charity event in 2008
But the brief fling only came to light after Terry, who is paid
£170,000 a week, lost a court battle preventing details of the
affair becoming public.
The tawdry revelations – including the bombshell allegation that
Terry paid for Miss Perroncel to have an abortion – cost him the
England captaincy last month when he was sacked by manager Fabio
Capello.
However, after she decided not to sell her story, French-born
Miss Perroncel was alleged to have been paid between £650,000 and
£800,000 to buy her silence.
But today Miss Perroncel’s lawyers presented all her bank
statements to District Judge Peter Greene to prove she had not
received any payment from Terry.
Yet, despite this apparent evidence, Bridge would not improve on
his offer of £3,000-a-month for Miss Perroncel and their son.
Lawyers for Miss Perroncel and £88,000-a-week Manchester City
defender Bridge could not come to an agreement despite an all-day
court battle.
Miss Perroncel’s spokesman Max Clifford said: ‘All Vanessa is
trying to do is quietly sort this matter out privately so that her
little boy Jaydon will be fairly looked after by his dad.’
At court a grim-faced Miss Perroncel, who at all times was
accompanied by a burly minder, refused to speak to Bridge.
For weeks the couple have been locked in a war of words over her
claims he was neglecting Jaydon.
A friend said: ‘Wayne earns a huge amount of money – more than
£350,000-a-month – and what he’s offering Vanessa and Jaydon is a
drop in the ocean for him.
‘She’s not greedy, she just wants a sensible amount of money, in
the region of £10,000-a-month, so she can properly look after their
son.’
Showdown: A soberly
dressed Perroncel seen arriving here with her legal
representatives
It is also understood that Miss Perroncel wants an exclusive
London mansion as part of her settlement. Bridge, dressed in
a grey three-piece suit with black tie and white shirt would only
laugh when asked how the negotiations were going.
But friends say he could no longer stand the sight of Miss
Perroncel.
A source close to Bridge said: ‘Wayne cannot stand Vanessa. He
felt hurt and betrayed by her but now he’s just angry and is
determined not to be taken to the cleaners. He loves his son and
wants to be part of his life. But he wants nothing to do with
her.'
Today’s two hearings, one to settle the disagreement over hush
money and the other to decide maintenance payments, took place
behind closed doors in front of two district judges.
The settlement was adjourned to a later date.