Sir Terence Conran has won a bitter legal battle against his right-hand man, restaurant tycoon Des Gunewardena, who was seeking 3m pounds in a court fight between the two former business partners.
Des Gunewardena, the chief executive of restaurant group D&D, accused Sir Terence of “betrayal” for paying him a nominal sum for his shares when he left the design guru’s firm in 2013.
Des Gunewardena was found by a judge to have given evidence that he “knew to be untrue” during the High Court hearings.
He claimed he was ousted from the board several months after he completed a 50m pounds buyout of the group in 2013, after which his shares were then “unjustifiably compulsorily acquired,,, for a derisory 1.254 pounds”.
High Court jugde Justice Mann dismissed the claim and said Des Gunewardena’s evidence was often “wishful thinking”.
Des Gunewardena is considering an appeal.
