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Ex-wife of accused Edinburgh embezzler 'went to cops after he joined dating app'

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorAlan McEwen
Published date20 June 2022
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
Kerry Lipton, 53, said her marriage to Gordon Couch crumbled after he moved their family to Hong Kong to take up a new job

According to The Daily Record, Couch, 56, had earlier controlled the finances of dementia sufferer Marjorie Stewart who died aged 91 after going into an Edinburgh nursing home.

Kerry told how she discovered Couch had signed up to a dating app days before she received a letter from Marjorie's nephew asking him about missing cash from her estate.

She said the "jigsaw puzzle" came together as she realised they'd suddenly left the UK as will beneficiaries were asking for their bequests.

Couch, of Penicuik, Midlothian, is on trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with embezzling £212,861 while holding power of attorney and executing Marjorie's estate between April 2009 and May 2015.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Kerry Lipton said they were battling debt problems around 2008, with Couch owing around £117,000 as he tried to build his financial advice business called Utopia.

Kerry, a medical rep, said she regularly met Marjorie - a "sweet" and "nice" woman who was Couch's client - and they even had her over for Christmas dinner.

She told the jury the family's finances seemed to be "improving" around 2013 when Marjorie passed away.

In April 2014 Couch told her about a job opportunity in Hong Kong, she added, and they decided to move there with their two young children.

But she said their relationship faltered as Couch became "erratic", working long hours in finance while not earning money to support them.

Kerry said: "My blind faith in him ran out."

After returning to Scotland with their kids, Kerry said Couch stayed to work in Hong Kong, making a few returns to the UK and selling his precious vinyl record collection as their money woes continued.

Kerry said she couldn't understand Couch's reluctance to leave Hong Kong when it wasn't working out. She said the couple "effectively separated" in late December 2015 after she threw him out...

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