A lottery millionaire who struck gold with a £4.5 million jackpot has admitted to throttling his partner and giving her the boot, just one year after ditching his wife for the new flame.
Barry Chuwen, now 54, and his then-wife Jenny, 55, lived it up with their £4.5million fortune won back in 1997, splurging on swanky pads all over Glasgow.
Back in the day, Barry was snipping locks as a 27-year-old hairdresser when he scooped one of Scotland’s fattest lottery cheques. The couple didn’t hold back, treating themselves to ritzy ski trips, lush golf breaks and a garage full of flashy motors.
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But the high life took a nosedive when Barry had a fling with a workmate called Holly Mcleod, which ended up torpedoing his marriage, reports the Daily Star.
And, according to The Sun, Mcleod had been on the receiving end of assault at Chuwen’s pad in Paisley. The pair got cosy in 2022 post-Chuwen’s split from his missus. Both Mcleod and Jenny were on the payroll at his company MQ Estate Agents.
In court, his brief Charlie McCusker said: “He has been struggling despite good fortune in the past. His personal life is a bit of a mess.”
Chuwen chimed in: “During this difficult time in our lives, I developed a relationship with someone who I met through work. I have apologised to Jenny and our children.”
He owned up to the assault on Ms McLeod in 2023. His legal team mentioned that Chuwen was bunking in “temporary” digs before moving to “rented accommodation” after the coppers nabbed him.
Sheriff McGinty didn’t mince words with Chuwen, declaring: “I found your partner to be believable I don’t find you believable in the slightest.”
This bombshell dropped after news broke that Scotland’s charity watchdog has kicked off an investigation into a charity founded by Chuwen and his former missus.
The pair launched ‘The Teddy Bear Foundation’ aiming to support children with special needs, inspired by their own tragedy when their son Ted was born stillborn three months premature due to Edwards syndrome, a rare condition.
Now, the charity bigwigs at OSCR are digging deep amid serious worries about “governance and financial controls” within the charity. Chuwen spilled the beans to the Daily Record, confessing the probe had piled on the pressure in his marriage, causing “a lot of stress”.
If you have been affected by issues of domestic violence or coercive control you can call Refuge’s 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free. The number is 0808 2000 247 Home – Refuge
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