After she sold the personalised registration number of his Ferrari, he stole one shoe from every pair she owned, a court was told. When she plotted to sell his laptop and presents given to their son, he burnt her ballgowns and lingerie, it was claimed.

The war of possessions between Neil Medley and Jane Sanderson was aired in court yesterday as he appealed against convictions for criminal damage arising from their rancorous divorce.

The trouble started when the couple occupied different floors of the family house in Ikley, West Yorkshire, during the early days of their separation.

Georgina Coade, who prosecuted Mr Medley, 46, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday that he became enraged at his estranged wife’s behaviour when she confessed to having sold the MED 575 registration plate from his Ferrari. She also sold a remote-controlled car and helicopter that was bought for their ten-year-old son Scott.

Ms Coade said that Mr Medley responded by stealing a single shoe from each pair in his wife’s £1,000 collection before tauntingly telling her that Heather Mills, the disabled former wife of Sir Paul McCartney, had them.

He allegedly told her that Gareth Gates, the stuttering pop singer and family friend, had stolen her “sh.. sh..sh..shoes”.

Ms Sanderson, 46, told the court that when she returned home shortly afterwards in June 2006, her hiking boots were missing. Venturing upstairs she discovered that £4,000 of lingerie, ballgowns and handbags were also gone. She later showed the charred remains of some items to police.

Ms Sanderson told the court: “We were having terrible arguments. It was a terrible atmosphere and I was under an enormous amount of stress.

“I came home and went to my bedroom and found only the bed, the wardrobe, and one pair of all of my shoes left. All of the family photos were gone and he had punched a hole through the face of my sister on a family portrait. He is an extremely angry man and he was retaliating to me selling the numberplate.

“But I needed to do that desperately because he hasn’t been giving me any money since our problems came to a head. I needed to buy food and support the children – I didn’t have any choice.”

She said that the numberplate was in her name and that the laptop had been given to her as a present, adding that her son did not even use the expensive presents lavished on him.

Last August Mr Medley was convicted of three counts of criminal damage at Leeds Magistrates’ Court including incinerating his former wife’s clothing.

Neighbours spotted him throwing objects on to a fire in the garden of the house. Ms Coade said that forensic science tests had discovered traces of metal bra clasps in the fire debris.

Rodney Ferm, representing Mr Medley, claimed that Ms Sanderson had been receiving cash payments from her former husband including £11,000 from the sale of another property owned by the couple.

Mr Ferm also claimed that Ms Medley had launched a campaign of allegations against her former husband because of their bitter divorce battle. These proceedings have only recently been completed.

The appeal continues.

Times Recommends

• Oh no, Mr Darling: you have failed
• BBC survives dogfight over Kennel Club expose
• Where the Rosetta belongs can’t be set in stone