Cathay Pacific pilot's 'HK$6 million flight to avoid paying ex-wife maintenance'

A Cathay Pacific pilot took flight from Canada to one US state after another, all to avoid paying his former wife more than HK$6 million in maintenance since they divorced 13 years ago, the High Court heard yesterday.

Scott Henderson, 52, who earns HK$165,000 a month, faces an arrest warrant issued by a Canadian court for failing to comply with court orders to support Suzanne Henderson, a former pilot with Air Canada, and their two daughters. Ms Henderson is understood to be in ill health.

She is asking the Court of First Instance to continue in Hong Kong a worldwide asset-freezing injunction that she earlier secured against the man as she tries to get the Ontario judgment enforced in the city.

Ms Henderson's barrister, Felix Ng, said the pilot concealed his assets and diverted funds in order to frustrate her claim.

The court heard that the two were wed in 1996, but the marriage turned sour and Mr Anderson left the family in 1999.

"Since 1999, my client has been ill and has been taking care of two daughters as a single mum," Ng said.

The pilot came under a warrant issued by an Ontario court to jail him for contempt of court after he defied the initial order to give his ex-wife a one-off sum and monthly payments totalling over HK$6 million, the court heard.