SOLICITOR THOMAS Mannion yesterday claimed absolute ownership of the house he had shared with Yvonne Donnelly for nearly 20 years.
Ms Donnelly (44) had unsuccessfully sued Mr Mannion (53) in the Employment Appeals Tribunal last year for compensation, claiming unfair dismissal.
In the Circuit Civil Court Mr Mannion, who lives at College Park Way, Dundrum, Dublin, is claiming full ownership of the house the couple shared at Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan, Co Dublin. She still lives there.
Mr Mannion told Judge Anthony Hunt that he and Ms Donnelly had never been married and were formerly involved in a relationship which had then ended.
He told his counsel, Conor Dignam, the house had been in his sole name prior to the relationship and that he had discharged the entire mortgage on the property and footed all maintenance costs and bills for an extension to it.
Ms Donnelly told her counsel, Adrienne Cawley, that she had pooled money she had towards household costs and had put her savings into paying for the extension.
She said Mr Mannion had asked her to change her name by deed poll and he had introduced her to people as his wife.
Judge Hunt reserved judgment.
In her action before the tribunal last year Ms Donnelly claimed she had been dismissed from Mr Mannion's employment in February 2006 after she had discovered he was in a sexual relationship with his 23-year-old secretary.
She had told the tribunal she worked on a part-time basis for Mr Mannion for 11 years between 1994 and 2005 as a part-time secretary and "go-for" to him.
Mr Mannion, who practises as a solicitor at Oranmore House, Taney Road, Dundrum, had denied he had ever gainfully employed her in his business.
The tribunal concluded by a two to one margin that a contract of employment had not existed between Ms Donnelly and Mr Mannion and that the tribunal had no jurisdiction to hear the case.