£4m cost of Hall's divorce
Newcastle United director Douglas Hall has been divorced by his ex-model wife in a multi-million pound settlement.
The deputy chairman of the club had been involved in an eight-year battle with Tonia, 42, who started proceedings against him in 1998 after claims he had romped with prostitutes in the Spanish holiday resort of Marbella.
A judge granted a decree nisi at Leeds County Court yesterday.
The pair now have to wait six weeks and one day to apply to make their divorce absolute.
The settlement is reported to have cost Mr Hall in the region of £4m.
The former Mrs Hall moved out of the property millionaire's home on the exclusive Wynyard estate in 1998 having stuck by him after allegations he, along with Newcastle chairman Freddie Shepherd, boasted about their sexual exploits, mocking fans and calling North-East women "dogs".
Mr Hall, 47, persuaded his wife to stay with him for the sake of their sons, John and Gregory, now grown up.
Mr Hall, son of MetroCentre creator and Newcastle United president Sir John Hall, runs the property company Cameron Hall Developments.
His ex-wife, originally from Ponteland, Northumberland, was a successful model when she married Mr Hall in July 1983.
Police cleared Mr Hall of drug-taking allegations, and four months after the scandal he returned to the Newcastle United board as deputy chairman.
He grew up in a colliery house in Ashington, until the age of 10, while his father was a pit surveyor.
When his father switched to property development he pitched in, clearing the mud from the MetroCentre site as well as preparing the centre for opening with his mother Mae and sister Alison.
Mr Hall was not available for comment last night.
Nufcmismanagement view:
Good Luck Tonia, you're well rid of him.
On a more serious note, does this settlement mean that he'll take even more money out of the football club?
We can't see him taking it from his allegedly failing company.
Will this man ever do anything right?