Formula One champ sued by Italian developer for not buying £3.5million villa in Grenada which he custom-built for Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger and (inset) Lewis Hamilton
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was all smiles as he extended his lead in the Formula One drivers' championship to 19 points after winning the German Grand Prix yesterday, but the 31-year-old is coping with a legal battle over a £3.5million love pad he planned to buy in Grenada for ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger.
Nicole Scherzinger and (inset) Lewis Hamilton
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Hamilton wanted a luxury Caribbean villa that had five-bedrooms, including a recording studio for the American singer built as per his specifications. The deal was done over email and Hamilton had not paid any deposit, The Sun reported yesterday.
Hamilton backs off
When the couple split in February last year, Hamilton pulled out of the deal which left the Italian developer Bernardo Bertucci with a custom-built home and no takers for the same. Bertucci has now taken the British driver to court to recover his costs.
According to The Sun, the home is an "amazing waterfront villa with private gym, recording studio, gourmet kitchen, sunset lounge area and private jetty with the best view in the Caribbean."
"I really trusted him, and we made a lot of changes in the original design. After six months he broke up with his girlfriend. One day when the villa was half built I received an email from him saying that he didn't want to go ahead. It's a sad story, but these things happen. I am pretty sure he knows he didn't behave correctly with me," Bertucci was quoted as saying by the tabloid.
Hamilton has already won the first part of the case in the Grenada Supreme Court last year and is trying to fight off Bertucci's appeal.
The developer, who has put the home on sale, added: "I didn't want to take legal action, but it is very difficult to sell a personalised villa like this. I met him personally and he was very excited about the villa. He told me that when he finished racing he wanted to live a quiet and relaxed life in Grenada, where his father was originally from."
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