‘Reprehensible’: Singapore doctor who said Canadian judge in divorce case ‘spread her legs’ ordered to pay ex-wife US$18 million
- Neurologist Gobinathan Devathasan was slammed for misconduct in his Vancouver divorce, which revealed a luxury lifestyle and a global property portfolio
- Former model and nurse Christie Devathasan was awarded US$74,400 in monthly spousal support, amounting to US$4.1 million, as well as assets worth US$14 million
A wealthy Singapore doctor, who said a judge in his Canadian divorce case had “spread her legs” for his wife’s lawyer, has been hit with a multimillion-dollar divorce bill including C$100,000 (US$74,400) in monthly support, in a ruling that described his conduct in the case as “reprehensible”.
Neurologist Gobinathan Devathasan, 69, had hidden assets, sent correspondence to his daughter’s Canadian university to embarrass her, refused to cooperate with court-appointed experts, and breached asset freezes, in conduct that was “richly deserving of rebuke”, the April 29 ruling in British Columbia’s Supreme Court said.
“[He] accused the Justice of this Court who had made the asset-freezing order and ordered that he pay interim support of bias and gross judicial misconduct [without any basis], even suggesting that she had ‘spread her legs wide’ to the claimant’s counsel,” said Mr Justice Geoffrey Gomery, referring to colleague Madam Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick.
The case has been billed by Singapore’s Straits Times as one of the biggest overseas divorce cases involving a couple from the island state.
The ruling described an “uncommonly wealthy” lifestyle of luxury holidays and cars, and a portfolio of homes in Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.
Gobinathan Devathasan, who practises in Singapore and was once the head of neurology at the National University Hospital there, was ordered to pay Christie Devathasan a C$5.5 million (US$4.1 million) lump sum in spousal support, representing both past obligations and future C$100,000 monthly payments until August 2024, when the situation could be reassessed.
[Dr Devathasan] accused the Justice of this Court … of bias and gross judicial misconduct [without any basis], even suggesting that she had ‘spread her legs wide’ to the claimant’s counsel
He was also ordered to hand over C$612,084 in child support, and C$2.4 million to equalise the division of assets.
The C$16.4 million in other assets granted to Christie Devathasan included a C$6.3 million house in West Vancouver, a C$2.3 million downtown Vancouver apartment, a C$2.5 million Florida apartment, a ranch, a ski chalet and four luxury vehicles including a Roll-Royce Silver Ghost.
Her husband’s share, C$21.4 million in assets, included seven homes in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, his C$8 million practice in the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, a Maserati car and watches worth C$160,000.
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Christie Devathasan, 55, is a former nurse and model. The couple met on the wards at the Singapore General Hospital in 1984, where they began an extramarital relationship, both being married to other people at the time. They had a son together, married in 1997, then had a daughter.
The family moved to Canada in 2003 under the immigrant investor programme for millionaire migrants, but Gobinathan Devathasan moved back to Singapore because of his work.
Mr Justice Gomery described the couple’s lifestyle – that included “extravagant holidays in far-flung locations” and purchases of expensive vehicles, watches and C$100,000 (US$74,400) in Persian rugs – as “luxurious”.
To be clear, from the commencement of the action until February 2018, Dr Devathasan repeatedly engaged in reprehensible misconduct
The judge took particular issue with a diamond-encrusted Audemars Piguet watch: the doctor claimed it was a gift from a patient (and not a personal purchase), which could have excluded it from the division of assets.
But the judge said he did not believe the medical clinic’s documentation of the supposed gift. “I think that he made it up,” said Gomery.
“To be clear, from the commencement of the action until February 2018, Dr Devathasan repeatedly engaged in reprehensible misconduct,” Gomery said elsewhere in the ruling.
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The judge said Gobinathan Devathasan’s past behaviour necessitated a lump sum in spousal support, instead of periodic payments.
In a 2017 affidavit, the doctor had said: “I will not pay a dollar for alimony now or till death or whatever any one decrees no matter what.” He also said “I have sworn I will pay with my ashes only”.
Although he had now promised to abide by the court’s rulings, “[there] is at least a risk that he will change his mind again”, said Gomery.
The judge noted how much damage the divorce caused for the family. In particular, Gobinathan’s relationship with his teenage daughter had suffered “utter collapse” after he sent a letter to her high school disowning her.
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His relationship with the couple’s adult son was also addressed in the ruling.
In 2016, Devathasan forfeited a C$480,000 deposit on a West Vancouver house he bought jointly with his son, after the doctor concluded that he had gone “rogue” by siding with his mother in the divorce. The younger Devathasan eventually negotiated the return of C$125,000 from the vendor.
He told the South China Morning Post his client did not want publicity for the case and requested privacy.
Mark Perry, Gobinathan Devathasan’s lawyer, said he was awaiting permission from his client to discuss the case.
The divorce is to be finalised within a month.
