A high-profile divorce lawyer and TV pundit has been arrested for allegedly lying to police about a plot to poison her.
August 21, 2008 23:00ByMarcus Dysch, Marcus Dysch
A high-profile divorce lawyer and TV pundit has been arrested for allegedly lying to police about a plot to poison her.
Vanessa Lloyd Platt, whose North London-based company, Lloyd Platt & Co, is one of the UK's leading family-law and divorce firms, regularly appears on shows including GMTV and Richard & Judy to discuss celebrity separations.
Last year she reported her then-husband, Daniel Platt, to police, alleging that he had attempted to poison her food. Mr Platt was arrested at the couple's Barnet home last September on suspicion of malicious communication, but he was never charged and the case was later dropped.
Last Friday, the 53-year-old mother of two was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice after voluntarily meeting officers at Colindale Police Station, North-West London. She was bailed to reappear at the station in late September.
The couple, who had been married for 17 years, divorced earlier this year.
A Barnet police source said: "She made allegations about her husband before they divorced. Our investigations have brought into question the veracity of those allegations."
Her lawyer, Helen Morris, said: "Ms Lloyd Platt entirely refutes the allegations that have been made. Until the matter is resolved, she is unable to comment further."
Ms Lloyd Platt, who was raised in Stanmore, is an expert panellist on programmes including The Wright Stuff and Loose Women, and has been widely quoted in the press, including the JC, where she has commented on religious divorces.
She wrote a Daily Mail column entitled The Relationship Doctor for 18 months, and in 2001 published her first book, Secrets of Relationship Success.
She handles around 100 Jewish divorces a year through her Finchley-based company. Other clients include Les Dennis, Anne Diamond and Lady Bienvenida Buck, as well as a number of Premier League footballers.
Her firm's website includes a section giving advice on how food can be used to help improve a relationship. One of her favourite recipes is a dish titled "Chocolate Mousse with Love".