An heiress at the centre of a feud over a £750,000 sterling family inheritance today spoke of her relief at not being sent back to jail.
A Belfast High Court judge struck out an injunction that would have forced Ms Marion Scarlett Needham Russell to tell where she has hidden £250,000 worth of antiques or face the threat of returning to prison.
Ms Russell (35) is in a dispute with her siblings Ms Debonair Norah Needham Horsman (35) and Mr Philip James Anley (26) - descendants of the Earl of Kilmorey - over the distribution of heirlooms at the family's estate, Mourne Park in Kilkeel, Co Down.
She has already spent a week in jail for contempt of court, but today the judge gave the two sides time to find a resolution to the four-year dispute.
The antiques will remain in her possession for now as the family decide whether to allow her to keep the assets or to sell the entire estate as one lot.
Mr Justice Paul Girvan called on Ms Horsman and Mr Anley to consider an offer put forward by Ms Russell's counsel, Mr John O'Donoghue QC, that they could keep any surplus over £500,000 from the sale of the assets in their possession. If the assets are sold for less than £500,000, Mrs Russell has pledged to make up the difference.
Mr Michael Lavery QC, counsel for Ms Horsman and Mr Anley, said his clients would explore this offer but the fact remained that Ms Russell had taken certain items and had no intention of returning them.
PA