Businessman with ’14 children’ refuses to pay support to woman he met on Tinder

A businessman thought to have 14 children is not providing for a baby born to a British woman he met on dating website Tinder, a London divorce court judge has said.

Judge Mark Everall said Canadian Johnathan Patrick Terry, who is in his 40s and has links to a hair products business with a base in Las Vegas, has defied orders to pay maintenance.

Payments should have been made to a woman, in her early 20s, and their eight-month-old daughter.

He has not attended hearings or provided information about his finances.

The woman had made a cash claim following the breakdown of a relationship with Mr Terry, who is commonly known as Patrick Terry, which spanned about 12 months.

She wanted maintenance for herself and their daughter.

But the judge said Mr Terry, who left the woman a few days before their daughter was born, had not engaged in the proceedings.

The judge has been analysing evidence at private hearings in the Central Family Court in London.

But he has decided that there is now a public interest in allowing journalists to report the case and name Mr Terry.

He has outlined detail in a ruling delivered after the latest hearing on Friday.

Lawyers representing the woman asked the judge to partially lift the anonymity veil.

Barrister William Tyzack and solicitor Alistair Myles, who is based at law firm Levison Meltzer Pigott, said the woman thought that letting journalists name Mr Terry, and publish his photograph, might encourage him to pay up.

Judge Everall has given his approval but said neither the woman nor the girl can be named in reports.

The judge said the woman is now caring for the baby in her mother’s housing association flat, and living on state benefits totalling around £400 a month, and said there is evidence that Mr Terry has fathered 13 other children.

He has approved the woman’s claim for about £10,000 a month in maintenance, for her and the girl, and a lump sum payment of about £22,000 to cover rent payments and to buy furniture.

The judge said she was making reasonable claims and said evidence suggested that Mr Terry was wealthy and could easily afford what she wanted.

He said evidence indicated that Mr Terry had financed a lavish lifestyle when they were together.

Judge Everall said earlier this year he had ordered Mr Terry to pay interim maintenance, pending the completion of litigation.

He said Mr Terry had not paid and was about £16,000 in arrears.

The judge said: ‘It is plain that the father has not engaged, and has no intention of engaging, in these proceedings.

‘The mother fears, and with some justification, that the father will take steps to avoid paying.’

He said: ‘Meanwhile the mother and this young child are being supported by the State.’

Mr Terry could not be reached for comment.