Gambling addiction banker and ex-wife agree settlement after six-year fight

A former banker who lost more than £500,000 after becoming addicted to spread betting and his ex-wife have reached agreement after fighting over money in divorce courts for six years.

Two Court of Appeal judges had been due to analyse the latest round of the dispute between Amit Goyal and Ankita Ghuman, who is in her 30s, at a hearing in London on Thursday.

Mr Goyal, who is in his 40s, had challenged orders made by a judge based in the Family Division of the High Court.

But lawyers told judges that the pair, who were married for a decade and lived in London, had agreed a "clean break" settlement.

Barrister Joanna Toch, who led Ms Ghuman's legal team, said her client had "litigation fatigue".

A family court judge had explained how Mr Goyal developed a spread betting addiction, following an earlier round of litigation.

Judge Glenn Brasse explained, in ruling published in 2015, how Mr Goyal had used "his skills" to try to predict future events in finance and sport.

The judge said he had initially done well and his earnings funded "holidays and high living".

But he had begun to lose and "disaster turned into catastrophe".

Judge Brasse said that by the time the couple separated Mr Goyal had "conservatively" lost more than £500,000.

The judge said Mr Goyal's spread betting addiction had "led him to dissipate the entirety of the family finances almost to the point of their extinction".