Sir Paul choked, abused and stabbed me, wife says.
LONDON - Paul McCartney plans to defend himself "vigorously" against new bombshell allegations that he's a heavy-drinking pot fiend who subjected his estranged wife, Heather Mills, to violence and cruelty.
The already acrimonious McCartney-Mills divorce battle erupted into open warfare yesterday when the Mirror published allegations contained in what it said were leaked legal documents filed in court by Mills' legal team.
Sir Paul may be a knight but he's far from a gentleman, according to the documents. They paint McCartney as a "vindictive" man who struck out at his wife and was callous about her amputated leg.
The documents allege McCartney, 64, lashed out at Mills, 38, last April, pouring wine over her head, breaking her glass and cutting her arm with the broken stem.
On three earlier occasions, the documents allege, McCartney started choking his wife when she asked if he had been smoking marijuana, pushed her over a coffee table and shoved her into the bathtub when she was pregnant.
The music legend and the former model wed in 2002. They have a daughter, Beatrice, who is nearly 3.
The couple, who separated in the spring, have no prenuptial agreement and have been unable to reach a deal on just how big a slice of McCartney's estimated $1.6 billion fortune Mills should receive.
According to the leaked papers, McCartney told Mills not to breast-feed baby Bea, saying, "They are my breasts."
Mills, who lost her lower left leg after being hit by a motorcycle in 1993, had to prepare two dinners every night - one for the child, one for the couple - even when she was on crutches, according to the papers.
The documents say McCartney refused to let her use an antique bedpan at night, saying it would be like living in "an old woman's home" - meaning she had to "crawl to the bathroom on her hands and knees" because she doesn't wear her prosthetic leg to bed. He also forced her to delay a crucial operation on her leg in November 2005 because it "interfered with his holiday plans," the documents allege.
McCartney's lawyers issued a statement saying he would be rebutting the allegations "vigorously and appropriately."
He "would very much like to respond in public and in detail" but recognizes that the divorce court is the "only correct forum," it said. In a clear slap at Mills, the statement added "that it was best for all concerned, particularly his children, for there to be some dignity in what is a private matter."
Both sides have enlisted high-profile legal help. Mills is represented by Anthony Julius, who handled Princess Diana's divorce, while McCartney has hired Fiona Shackleton, who represented Prince Charles.
