Restaurant king and interior design guru Sir Terence Conran has fought off allegations that he deprived a former business partner of a £3m payday.
Eighty-five-year-old Sir Terence is entangled in a bitter court dispute with Des Gunewardena, once chief executive of Conran Holdings Ltd.
Gunewardena is suing the Conran family company for the £3m he says he should have received for his 7 per cent shareholding.
He was chief executive of the Conran group for 11 years before leading a buyout of the restaurant business completed in 2013.
Gunewardena claims he was fired from the Conran group, deprived of his just reward for 20 years of hard work and offered a derisory £1,254 for his shares.
Sir Terence, while giving evidence in the High Court, insisted that his former partner received a ‘fair price’ for his stake.
The hearing continues.
