Lover 'fires' mistress

2003-07-29 21:59

Jan Taljaard

Plettenberg Bay - She never wants to relive the past two years, says Julia Lloyd, who is suing a former lover for R300 000 for "firing" her.

Lloyd, 48, a freelance journalist with two children, is suing David Mitchell, 62, for damages after he broke up with her. Throughout their fiery intimate relationship he promised her that he would divorce his wife Carol and marry her instead.

Should she succeed with the claim, Lloyd will set a precedent for similar claims against married men involved in extra-marital relationships.

"In the olden days, women were stoned to death for adultery, while the men got away scot-free," said Lloyd.

"I really loved him and truly believed that we would get married one day.

"I was shattered when he told me 'you are fired'."

Lloyd's brother, Martin Rattray, a rich Plettenberg Bay architect, introduced them in 1997.

Mitchell was apparently attracted to her, but the relationship only started in September 2001.

It quickly developed into a hot affair and the lovers had to see each other every day. Mitchell apparently arrived at her flat at 06:45 and throughout the day called her and sent her SMSs.

"I had to change my whole life to accommodate him," she said. At the time Mitchell demanded she break up a relationship of 13 years with another man.

"When he demanded, I jumped."

But it all changed when Mitchell's wife overheard a telephone conversation between the lovers in May last year.

All hell broke loose and Mitchell told his wife that the affair was over.

According to the charge sheet, the lovers promised each other to hold on until after Mitchell's daughter got married in October last year because they didn't want to spoil her wedding day.

They encouraged each other with SMSs stating "STP=LTG" -"short term pain is long term gain".

And then he dropped her.

- Die Burger