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Former judge pays £100,000 for the son he denied was his
Mum’s 30-year battle ends out of court as millionaire agrees to pay up after affair
A RETIRED Old Bailey judge is set to hand over £100,000 to his former mistress after a 30-year battle over maintenance payments for their son was settled out of court.
Felicity Hammerton, who lives in Camden Town, is celebrating after being granted the money by millionaire barrister David Cocks QC.
The pair agreed to end their long-running battle at Wells Street Magistrates Court on Friday.
Last night (Wednesday) Ms Hammerton, 56, told the New Journal her fight with Mr Cocks had never been over the money, but was about the human rights of her 26-year-old son, also called David.
Mr Cocks, 72, who was married at the time of their affair, had denied Mr Hammerton was his son until a paternity test proved otherwise.
“It is the gravest indictment of a human being that he (Mr Cocks) should disregard the human rights of his own son,” said Ms Hammerton.
“The fact that he could live the high-life while I have been struggling to give his son the best is a reflection and indictment of the elitist society in which we live.”
Health fears forced Ms Hammerton to leave her job as a barrister after 18 years. She said she has survived through carefully managing her finances.
Ms Hammerton met Mr Cocks after qualifying as a barrister in the 1970s. He later invited her to be a pupil at his chambers, which is when their affair began.
After the relationship broke down, the couple fell out and began communicating through lawyers in court.
Until Mr Hammerton was 10, Mr Cocks, who was the sixth-highest paid barrister in the country in 2006, earning £800,000 a year, paid little more than £15 a week towards his son’s welfare. In 1994 he was ordered to increase his maintenance payments, but according to reports he had tried to have the figure reduced.
Ms Hammerton said she was pleased that Mr Cocks has promised to see his son
“I am delighted that part of the court agreement was that he (Mr Cocks) should at least meet with his son,” she said. She added: “I’m incredibly proud of my son.”
The payment will go towards funding Mr Hammerton’s studies – he is currently undertaking a doctorate in archaeology – and will cover Ms Hammerton’s court costs of £4,000.
Mr Cocks called the sum a “generous settlement”. |
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