'Lord' Jafari's wife granted divorce as 18-month legal battle finally ends

SELF-styled Lord Houshang Jafari has failed to prevent his wife getting a divorce after he had two children with another woman.

Almost 18 months of legal wrangling and county court hearings, Recorder Susan Jacklin granted Aghas Bidaki a decree nisi.

She found that, on the balance of probability, Mr Jafari had displayed "unreasonable behaviour" and the couple's 34-year marriage had "irretrievably broken down".

However, the couple are still married under the Sharia laws of Iran, where they share a marital home and British court orders are not recognised.

Mr Jafari now lives with his "temporary wife" Katrina, 33, and their two children in Stoke Park, while Ms Bidaki lives in Henleaze, in the home she used to share with her husband, who was unable to attend court as he is currently in hospital.

Represented in court by Katrina, Mr Jafari, pictured, argued that under the Iranian Civil Code he is allowed to have four permanent marriages and as many "temporary" marriages as he can afford, as long as his first wife consents.

The property developer argued Ms Bidaki, 53, had consented, having found out about Katrina more than four years ago yet not applied for divorce until July, 2011.

But Ms Bidaki strenuously denied this, both inside and outside court, and said it was when she found out he had children with another woman she felt it was time to end the marriage.

After the hearing, a relieved Ms Bidaki told The Post: "Oh my God, it's unbelievable. I stayed with this man but when I realised he's got two children with another woman I was disgusted. That was the point I decided to get a divorce."

But, with more court hearings inevitable to thrash out finances and divorce proceedings also underway in Iran, she added: "It's only the end of the beginning. There's still a long way to go."

Ms Bidaki and Mr Jafari have three children – Yaser, 33, Yasaman, 28, and Sajad, 26, who all live in the UK.

"We're relieved," said Yaser. "It's always been the case that my mum, after 34 years' of marriage, wants a break. She wants to get on with her life."

After six weeks the decree nisi will be made "absolute" and the marriage will be legally dissolved in Britain.

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