An extremely wealthy former model and fashion director who won £32million in her divorce from her first husband, has successfully bid to have a court order her second husband be jailed, in a battle over their £40m marital assets.
Alisa Thiry received an eight-figure settlement after splitting from the co-founder of French Connection, Stephen Marks, in 2004, with whom she had three children.
Alisa Thiry previously won an eight-figure settlement in her first divorce
Mrs Thiry, 49, then married Belgian businessman and property magnate, Didier Thiry, 52, who London's High Court heard was worth £8m when they got together.
The couple, whose assets include a luxurious beach house on the Caribbean Island of St Bartholemy, where they met, are now in the bitter throes of what, for Mrs Thiry, is a second big money divorce.
Mr Justice Newton, sitting in the Family Division of the High Court, ordered that the husband be jailed for four months for contempt of court, over a row about a £13.8 million loan.
A court ordered Didier Thiry, Alisa Thiry's husband (both pictured) be jailed
The court heard that Mrs Thiry, who worked as creative director at French Connection and Fashion Editor of Elle, was already wealthy, not least as a result of her first divorce, when she got together with her second husband.
Mr Justice Newton said that, during the second marriage as "part of very complex financial arrangements between husband and wife", a company owned by her made the loan to one of her husband's companies that has, according to her, never been paid off.
Judge Sir Peter Singer made an order requiring Mr Thiry, who runs a boutique hotel in Belgium, to disclose information relating to the loan to his former wife on March 12 this year.
But Harry Oliver, representing the wife, told the High Court that he had failed to comply with that order.
The barrister said Mrs Thiry wanted "vital information regarding a $50m bond issued over companies relevant to (the divorce) proceedings, and how a loan owed to the wife, that is the central object of proceedings, worth Euros 17m plus, will be met."
Jailing Mr Thiry for four months, Mr Justice Newton said his contempt in failing to disclose that information had been "flagrant".
He added: "I take the view that this type of behaviour cannot be tolerated.
"It must be understood by this husband, and by all husbands, that when considerable time, money and effort have been expended, it is simply unacceptable for the court to be treated in this way."
"I find the contempt proved..and in the circumstances I propose to pass an immediate sentence of four months imprisonment," he concluded.
The judge also ordered the husband to pay a £10,000 legal costs bill.
Mr Justice Newton added that Mr Thiry is currently in Belgium but that he will be arrested the next time he sets foot on UK soil.
However he gave the husband an opportunity to apply for a hearing to "purge his contempt" by proffering the information ordered by the court and apologising.
Mrs Thiry declined to comment outside court after the hearing. Her husband did not attend and was not represented.