THE WOMAN, an Irish citizen who may only be referred to as a professional person in the south of Ireland, had sought to annul her church marriage of 1993 to a Scottish professional, whom she met five years earlier. They had two children, and separated in 1997.
In seeking nullity, the woman contended her consent to the marriage was not fully informed due to misrepresentation of fundamental facts and fraud on the husband’s part relating to his personal and family circumstances, character and intentions. She claimed he lacked capacity to marry due to psychological immaturity and underdevelopment of character.
A psychiatrist had told the High Court the man had a “narcissistic personality disorder” to such an extent as to make it impossible for him to consent to and sustain marriage with the woman.
He had a fundamental difficulty with trust and allowing himself to be trusted, constructed a personality entirely at variance with reality and told untruths to conceal his financial difficulties and get maximum attention, the psychiatrist said.
The woman alleged he had represented himself as of substantial wealth when he was actually chronically indebted and incapable of managing his own affairs. She claimed she had to pay for their marriage and was the main breadwinner. She also alleged he misrepresented the extent of his status as a partner in a Scottish business and concealed circumstances which led to the collapse of the partnership.
He also allegedly misrepresented himself as the son of a happy and functional family, when he had “an unusual and secretive relationship” with his parents and she had never met any extended family. After the birth of their first child, she claimed he showed no interest in sustaining a sexual relationship, drank excessively and remained secretive about his personal feelings and activities.