Jilted lover demands money for dresses ex-boyfriend made her wear once

A woman who spent almost £7,000 of her own money on designer dresses her wealthy boyfriend insisted she should only wear once, has demanded her money back now the couple have split up. Julie Ann Zelent's trips to the hairdresser and the beautician to look her best for Alan Savage, a millionaire football club chairman, which cost her another £4,000, and membership of the local health club added £2,000 more. During the two-year courtship with, it may have seemed like money well spent, as Mr Savage had allegedly promised to make Miss Zelent his wife.

But after Mr Savage abruptly dumped her, Miss Zelent went to court to demand her money back, claiming she has been left out of pocket because he reneged on his offer of marriage. In total, Miss Zelent, 51, is suing Mr Savage for £500,000, which includes compensation for loss of earnings she suffered by giving up her job to move in with him and the cost of “stressful” holidays to destinations including Australia. She claims the failed relationship left her “economically disadvantaged” and is the latest woman to pursue a wealthy ex-boyfriend for so-called “palimoney”.



Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Miss Zelent met Mr Savage in June 2006, just months after his wife, Linda, had died of cancer. Three months later she gave up a £54,000-a-year job as an IT manager for Royal Bank of Scotland in London and moved to Inverness to live with Mr Savage, chairman of the Orion recruitment agency and at the time chairman of the Scottish Premier League team Inverness Caledonian Thistle. She told the court that when the couple attended functions together, Mr Savage would expect her to wear a new dress because:

“He wanted me to look unique. He didn’t want me wearing the same outfit as anyone else. I would only wear them at one function. They would just sit at home in the wardrobe. I still have them boxed up. I didn’t want to get rid of them until the end of this case. I will probably donate them to charity.” In total she spent £6,992 on clothing, including £1,303 on a single dress. Miss Zelent now lives in North Carolina, where she has set up home with a former US Marine. Mr Savage, who married his second wife, Lynne Cordiner, last year, says Miss Zelent’s demands are “excessive” and she is not entitled to the money. The hearing continues.