£48m divorcee tied up and robbed

A woman who was awarded £48m in what was thought to be the biggest divorce settlement in Britain's legal history has been robbed at her Kent home.

Beverley Charman, 53, was tied up by a gunman wearing a balaclava, at her £2.75m home and robbed of her jewels.

Kent Police said the man broke into the house on a private road surrounded by high walls and electric gates on Friday night. No violence was used.

Jewellery worth several hundred thousand pounds was taken, police said.

Mrs Charman is the ex-wife of insurance magnate John Charman.

High-profile divorce

Last week, he was in the Appeal Court to challenge the £48m divorce ruling by the High Court which was given out last year.

Police said the woman was alone at home on Friday night, when the man broke in and threatened her with what could have been an imitation gun or a BB gun.

She was forced to open a safe and hand over valuable jewellery.

One of her two grown-up sons found her bound, but not gagged, when he returned home 20 minutes after the incident.

One line of inquiry is that the high-profile divorce case could have made her a target for criminals.

The force said a safe was also targeted in the incident.

The man who broke in was described as white, and wearing a balaclava, and dark clothing.

Mrs Charman was not hurt during the ordeal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6439141.stm