Sir Richard Tucker the judge, his 'moody' gardener and the case of the poisoned plants

Sir Richard Tucker, for years one of the country’s most senior judges, is understandably proud of the impressive garden that he and his wife have created at their Cotswolds home.

Having retired from the High Court, where he presided over famous cases including the Polly Peck fraud trial, he may have thought he would be able to enjoy it in relative peace.

But he has become embroiled in controversy after his former gardener, with whom he had fallen out, was charged with causing £500 worth of criminal damage to his verge and flower borders.

The incident has divided opinion in the picturesque village of Stanton, Gloucestershire, where Sir Richard lives with his wife Jacqueline for much of the year.

Their imposing Cotswold-stone home is on the High Street and they are neighbours of former tennis star and television presenter Sue Barker.

The gardener, Edward Hancock, from nearby Tewkesbury, appeared before magistrates at Cheltenham earlier this month.

The court heard that grass on a verge that divides Sir Richard’s house from the road, as well as plants in a border that runs along the front wall, had been destroyed, apparently with weedkiller.

Mr Hancock pleaded not guilty and a full trial is due to take place in August. He refused to comment last week.

But Lady Tucker, a garden designer, said that he had effectively abandoned his one-day-a-week job in April after their relationship had become strained.

She said that she believed Mr Hancock, whom she described as ‘moody’, had first taken a dislike to her two years earlier after she had ‘gently’ rebuked him for knocking over an apple tree.

Soon afterwards, she and her husband paid £80 for an exotic plant, an Australian Wollemi pine. She put the plant in her greenhouse but it mysteriously died a month later.

She was so concerned that she arranged for the original supplier to take samples for testing.

She said: ‘He rang me and said, “I suspect sabotage. Have you got someone with a grudge against you?” He said there was a strong smell of paraffin in the compost.’

Lady Tucker said her husband did not believe that Mr Hancock was involved, and the gardener continued working for them.

However, their relationship remained tense and she alleged that Mr Hancock could be ‘extremely rude’. He also raised his fees from £90 to £110 a day.

In April Sir Richard, 77, decided to speak to Mr Hancock but he failed to turn up for work. Lady Tucker said Sir Richard put a note on Mr Hancock’s van saying that if he was not coming back, could he return his keys, which he did.

Last month, the couple went away for a short holiday. When they returned the grass on the verge was ‘bright orange’ and the foliage in the border was dead or dying.

Lady Tucker said the incident had been ‘deeply upsetting’ and had become a source of gossip which had split the village, because Mr Hancock still worked there.