Robbie Keane and his TV star spouse Claudine have won a court case that saw them kick OAP out of their £3.8m mansion as she owes £300k rent.
Robbie Keane, 42, and his TV star wife Claudine, have been in and out of court for the past three years until the judgement.
Sandi St Paul, 74, and her musician friend Stewart Lawrence have been living in Keane’s family home in Hertfordshire since December 2019.
The Central London County Court were informed by the Keane’s that the duo owe them a roughly £300,000 in back rent.
Mrs Keane, who is same age as Keane, revealed that she was down to tears and was left begging for access to her home during the hearing.
Ms St Paul and Mr Lawrence, who was a drummer for sixties icon Donovan, stopped paying rents in April 2020 and that got the couple worried.
Ms St Paul, a property developer, told Judge Heather Baucher that she and Mr Lawrence had halted paying rent on the £8,000-a-month house.
She alleged that she suffered stroke after she was left with ‘no heating or hot water for two winters’ by Robbie Keane and his wife.
Despite the allegations, the judge has now ordered her out of the house and they will be evicted by High Court sheriffs.
Ms St Paul and Mr Lawrence also saw a bill for £292,192 rent arrears handed to them, with an additional £70,000 towards Mr and Mrs Keane’s legal fees.
Mr Lawrence previously moved out of the property, leaving Ms St Paul, who was his guarantor for the rent, in the house, though she wasn’t named as tenant.
The mansion boasts of a gated five-bedroom and an extensive gardens alongside a cinema room.
Ms St Paul, attended court in a wheelchair and without a lawyer, and subsequently accused Mrs Keane of ignoring mails which she and Mr Lawrence sent pleading for an out-of-court settlement.
Robbie Keane’s wife Claudine explained the tensions were high when there was a major leak in the property and the ex tenant refused workmen access to fix it.
She explained: “When there was a leak I begged you to let workers in and you refused. I cried on that phonecall and begged you ‘please don’t destroy my property’.”
In regards to Mr Lawrence, she added: “We were told because he was a famous person we were not allowed to have his telephone number. We have never seen him. I’ve never been offered any money.”
Ms St Paul also claimed that the reason she could not answer the workmen that came to the mansion was because of her health issues.
“I was hospitalised twice and had to take bed rest,” Ms St Paul added. “If somebody were to knock on the door I wouldn’t hear them from my window.”
“Nobody was ever refused entry to that house. We’ve never been anything less than pleasant to anybody who came round even after my second stroke.”
The court also learnt that Mr Lawrence had countersued the Keane’s in a bid to offset the rent arrears against alleged failures to make repairs to the property, including a faulty entrance buzzer and to the underfloor heating system which Ms St Paul slammed as ‘absolute rubbish’.
This was dismissed abruptly by the judge as there was no supporting evidence to substantiate the said claims.
The Judge, Judge Baucher, confirmed that both defendants had failed to talk to the landlord to ‘allow access to assess disrepair’.
Ms St Paul said, “Somebody said he was in football. I hate football,” outside the court as she lost the case and asked to vacate the mansion.
Robbie Keane
Robert David Keane is an Irish football coach and former player who was born on 8 July 1980 and played as a striker.
The Irishman was the team captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until his international retirement in August 2016.
Robbie Keane is the most capped player and is the top goalscorer in the team’s history and he is currently the joint-assistant manager of Leeds United.
Robbie and Claudine
Robbie Keane met wife Claudine when she was just 18 years old through mutual friends, and that was when Robbie was just beginning his professional football career.
Formerly Claudine Palmer, she enjoyed an impressive modelling career, was a contestant on Miss Ireland and graduated with a first class in a finance degree from University College Dublin.
Robbie Keane’s Wife Claudine has also worked as a newspaper columnist.
The couple got married in June 2008 at St Alphonsus and Columba Church in Ballybrack, Dublin.
Robbie Keane and Claudine have two children, the eldest named Robert Ronan after his father and grandfather, while the youngest is named Hudson.
