Football agent fights businessman in £8000,000 court row over will of the woman they both loved

A Rolls-Royce-driving football agent is locked in a bitter £800,000 court battle with a Ferrari-driving businessman over the will of the woman they both loved.

Barry Silkman, a former Man City midfielder turned multimillionare agent, is fighting former friend Gaven Love over the inheritance of Ally Fuller, Mr Silkman’s ex-wife and Mr Love’s fiance.

The row, which has been taken to Central London County Court, is centered around a four-bedroom house in Amersham, Buckinghamshire and whether Ms Fuller’s 24-year-old daughter should inherit a share of the property once lived in by Ms Fuller and Mr Love. 

Mr Silkman, a football agent whose past clients include Euro 2008 top scorer David Villa and Premier League legend Yakubu and who is seen as one of the top ten most influential agents in the game, split from Ms Fuller in 2003.

The pair have a daughter together named Keenia, a 24-year-old aspiring actress.

In 2007 Ms Fuller fell for cyber security boss Gaven Love, 44, from St Albans, Herts, and the pair got engaged and moved in together to a four-bedroom house in Stanley Hill, Amersham, Bucks.

However they split up in 2015 and Ms Fuller shortly afterwards revealed she was suffering from terminal cancer, which took her life the following year.

In her last will, she left all her inheritance to daughter Keenia, with Mr Silkman to administer the estate.

But no share of the house she had lived in with former fiancee Mr Love was included, since it was bought in his sole name.

Rolls-Royce-driving Barry Silkman, a former Man City midfielder turned multimillionare football agent, is fighting former friend Gaven Love

Their £800,000 bitter court battle concerns the inheritance of Ally Fuller, Mr Silkman's ex-wife and Mr Love's fiance (pictured foreground hugging her daughter Keenia, 24)

Their £800,000 bitter court battle concerns the inheritance of Ally Fuller, Mr Silkman’s ex-wife and Mr Love’s fiance (pictured foreground hugging her daughter Keenia, 24)

Mr Silkman, who is known by the nickname ‘Silky’ for his talent at smoothing out the wrinkles in last minute transfer deals and who drove a white Rolls-Royce Ghost to court clients, cared for Ms Fuller at his £2m home in Northaw, Hertfordshire, in her final months. He also paid £250,000 for treatment to save her life.

Now he is suing Ferrari-driving Mr Love for half the house, claiming it belonged to his ex and should go to their daughter in her estate.

He claims Ms Fuller made a significant financial contribution to the purchase and running costs of the house and that Mr Love, having agreed to give her half whilst she was alive, now ‘seeks to take advantage of the passing of the deceased and to deny the deceased’s daughter her rightful inheritance.’

But Mr Love denies ever needing to lean on Ms Fuller financially and insists they always agreed the house was his alone.

Central London County Court heard that, by the time Mr Love bought the house in his sole name in October 2012, he and Ms Fuller had been a couple for five years and engaged for two. 

Mr Silkman says that Ms Fuller put £60,000 in for the house purchase, paid the bills and also loaned her then fiance money to buy a motorbike. 

The then couple agreed to share the house 50/50 and Mr Love went back on the agreement after she died, the agent claims. 

Antonia Halker, for Mr Silkman, told the court: ‘The claimant’s case is that the property was purchased jointly by Mr Love and Ms Ally Fuller as their future matrimonial home.’

Keenia, a 24-year-old aspiring actress, (pictured) was left everything in her mother's will. But the legal document did not reference the house she shared with Mr Love during their relationship - an omission Mr Silkman contests

Keenia, a 24-year-old aspiring actress, (pictured) was left everything in her mother’s will. But the legal document did not reference the house she shared with Mr Love during their relationship – an omission Mr Silkman contests

In the hearing at Central London County Court, Mr Silkman claimed a share of a Buckinghamshire property (pictured) lived in by Mr Love and Ms Fuller should go Ms Fuller's daughter Keenia, 24

In the hearing at Central London County Court, Mr Silkman claimed a share of a Buckinghamshire property (pictured) lived in by Mr Love and Ms Fuller should go Ms Fuller’s daughter Keenia, 24

Ms Fuller was always told she would be ‘joint owner of the property’ and acted to her own detriment by putting money in on the basis of that understanding, she said.

‘The property was purchased as a family and intended matrimonial home for the deceased, Mr Love and the deceased’s daughter,’ she told Judge Alan Johns QC.

‘It was only purchased in the sole name of Mr Love as he informed the deceased that it would be difficult to secure a mortgage if her name were included.

‘Mr Love assured the deceased that the property was intended to be owned 50/50 and that the deceased could trust him,’ the barrister said, claiming Mr Love told Ms Fuller ‘that her name would be added to the deeds for the property after completion of the purchase.’

‘Whilst the mortgage payments were all made from Mr Love’s bank account, the deceased paid for all of the household expenditure… and the utility bills for the property,’ as well as loaning Mr Love £15,000 to buy a motorbike, she said.

‘Mr Love now seeks to deny that the deceased had a beneficial interest in the property at all. 

‘It is submitted that he seeks to take advantage of the passing of the deceased and to deny her daughter her rightful inheritance,’ the barrister concluded, asking the judge to order the house be sold with half the proceeds going into Ms Fuller’s estate.

Paul Mertens, for Mr Love, however denied the claims Ms Fuller was promised half the house.

‘Neither Mr Silkman nor his daughter are able to provide direct evidence of the alleged agreement between Mr Love and Ms Fuller in 2012,’ he said.

‘At no stage was it intended or suggested that the property should be jointly purchased.

‘Like many others, this is simply a case in which a property was purchased by an unmarried individual as a home for himself and his cohabiting partner.

‘Whilst Mr Love and Ms Fuller may have intended to get married…it does not follow that they must have also intended for Ms Fuller to be an equitable co-owner.’

He also told the judge that Ms Fuller didn’t mention the house in her will, adding: ‘As a professionally drawn will, it is highly unlikely that any solicitor instructed to produce a will on Ms Fuller’s behalf would not have asked her about any property that she owned.

The hearing at Central London County Court (pictured, stock image) has now concluded and judgment will be given at a later date

The hearing at Central London County Court (pictured, stock image) has now concluded and judgment will be given at a later date

‘Ms Fuller did not mention her alleged ownership of the property at the time; and the reason she did not do so is because she did not consider herself to have any claim in respect of the property.’

Whilst accepting Ms Fuller paid some bills at the house, Mr Love also denies she acted to her own detriment in doing so.

‘The payments were nothing more than one would incur when living in a property with somebody else,’ said Mr Mertens.

‘They were not therefore ‘detrimental’ to Ms Fuller, who enjoyed the benefit of these utilities [and] services whilst living in Mr Love’s property rent-free.’

He did not need to borrow money off Ms Fuller or rely on her input to the house because he was ‘in such a strong financial position’ that he could afford to help her out financially.

In his witness statement, Mr Love detailed how he paid the deposit on a Porsche 911 turbo for Ms Fuller when they were together and was himself driving a Ferrari.

He denied having to borrow money off her to buy a motorbike.

Giving evidence, Mr Silkman denied this proved Mr Love was so rich he didn’t need Ms Fuller’s money.

‘I drove around in a white Rolls-Royce Ghost and I was almost skint,’ he told the judge.

‘I did it to get more players on my books and it worked, so the answer to that question is no.’

Telling the judge about Ms Fuller’s final battle with cancer, Mr Silkman said: ‘I paid every single bit to Ally for her cancer treatment.

‘We had quite a few benefits for her. I had singers over from America because the treatment was horrendously expensive. The treatment cost in excess of £250,000.’

Mr Mertens put to Mr Silkman that he had ‘threatened’ Mr Love with court if he didn’t agree to share the house with Keenia.

‘You went to his house and you did threaten him with legal proceedings,’ he claimed.

Mr Silkman replied: ‘He can do one. If I threatened him, why would I have 20 texts from him afterwards, very friendly, even talking about Big Sam getting the England job?

‘I trusted Gaven with my life and I think he trusted me,’ Mr Silkman added.

‘If somebody is paying all the bills and outgoings on a house and somebody else is paying the mortgage they have the same rights to the property as me,’ he told the judge.

The hearing has now concluded and judgment will be given at a later date.