Morning:
14°c
The tycoon wanted over the murder of his millionaire girlfriend was attacked by her on the night she died, a friend claimed today.
Ian Griffin apparently said he was assaulted by Kinga Legg shortly before she was found battered to death in the bathroom of their Paris hotel room.
The former male model has been at the centre of an international manhunt since fleeing the £1,000-a-night-suite on Tuesday. He told a former girlfriend that Miss Legg, 36, had attacked him with a stun gun disguised as a lipstick during a "massive fight" on the day she died. Tracy Baker claimed Mr Griffin, 39, called her after the row and told her he had fought back in self-defence.
"He sounded really upset and said she had attacked him with a stun-gun disguised as a lipstick, which she bought earlier in the day in Paris," Miss Baker said. "He said he had cuts all over his arms and bruises all over his legs. That was the last time I spoke to him."
Mr Griffin left the Hotel Bristol in his Porsche 911, which was later found at an address in Warrington, Cheshire, where he grew up. He is also known to have visited Shepperton Marina, where the couple kept a high-powered boat.
Miss Baker, 28, from Buckingham, who has given a statement to Thames Valley Police, added: "Ian and Kinga used to clash frequently, and whenever they did he always used to ring me."
It is claimed Miss Legg tried to stab Mr Griffin at their £6 million rented home in Oxshott, Surrey, shortly before Christmas.
The Polish businesswoman is said to have snapped after finding out he had been cheating on her with Miss Baker since 2005. The following day he sent Miss Legg to the Priory clinic to receive therapy. The pair apparently often drank heavily.
Miss Baker added: "He was the target of a lot of violence from her. She was very possessive - she tried to control him. I think because I was still in the background she was jealous."
Last month he apparently sent Miss Baker a picture with his face bleeding after an alleged attack by Miss Legg. He claimed she had punched him, cutting him with her ring. Miss Baker said: "I don't know what happened in Paris but I know he is not a violent or aggressive man. I was with him for two and a half years and he never showed any kind of violence or aggression towards me."
Mr Griffin built a string of businesses including tanning salons and gadget shops. But it has been reported they struggled and he was declared bankrupt in 2006. Miss Legg ran her family company Vegex, which supplies tomatoes to British supermarkets and has a base in Surrey and in her Polish home town of Opatowek. Police have urged Mr Griffin to contact them.
