A couple who bought a stunning £1.5 million estate were left in disbelief after the previous owner was stripped of their most valuable asset.
Martin and Sarah Caton couldn’t contain their excitement when they closed the deal on their new Grade II*-listed mansion in Cornwall.
The magnificent house called Bochym Manor comes with a Jacobean oak staircase, a walnut paneled library and an incredible history dating back to the Domesday Book.
The ten-bedroom gothic-revival house even boasts secret passageways, historic stained glass windows and comes with 13 beautiful holiday homes as part of the estate.
The whole thing is the stuff of dreams.
But when the couple stepped inside for the first time since buying the property, their excitement quickly turned sour.
They found that former owner Dr Mark Payne had ripped out doors, windows, fireplaces, floors, gutters and even plumbing and electricity.
Three of the four bathrooms have disappeared and the magnificent stained glass windows have been removed, as have some of the library’s panels, which were carved by the company that rebuilt Parliament House.
It wasn’t just the manor that was stripped: the holiday homes were completely gutted and the staircase from the Estate’s clock tower was removed by workers hired by Dr Payne.
To make way for the builders to get their trucks in and out as the historic house was demolished, the entrance pillar at the end of the drive was also demolished.
Mr Caton said: ‘I am confused. It’s like a warzone or like a tornado has shredded the place. He took out almost all the doorknobs, the box on the wall, the lock removed.
‘There was some random and weird damage. I don’t understand the mentality behind it – it’s staggering that it can be really cruel.’
Mr Caton, a vet and businessman, and his wife had suspicions that something was ‘not quite right’ before they were given the final keys to their mansion near Helston after Dr Payne had made excuses to prevent them from coming.
Despite having a bad feeling about the deal, they pressed ahead with the sale in an effort to pursue their dream of turning the estate into a holiday cottage and wedding venue.
Describing the moment he first saw it, Mr Caton admitted that all his ‘worst fears’ had come true.
He told the Mail on Sunday last year: ‘I want to close the door, walk away and put it back on the market and never come back.’
The couple estimate they will have to pay £1.5 million to repair the damage to the property they bought in 2014.
They reported the damage to the police and Cornwall Council as soon as they were discovered, prompting a nine-year legal battle.
Sellers are prohibited from taking items related to the property, such as fixtures and fittings, without the buyer’s consent.
Local authorities must also allow permission for equipment to be removed from listed buildings.
Dr Payne was arrested on suspicion of theft, criminal damage and breaches of the Planning Act at a new home in Cumbria by police, who recovered several items in April 2015.
The council dropped the case fearing it could not prove Dr Payne caused the damage and he was released without charge.
Mr. and Mrs. Caton used historic photos to show what the property looked like when they agreed to buy it and to prove what they were getting.
He took the case back to the council, which was advised by an external lawyer he had hired that he had ‘sufficient evidence’ to prosecute.
But the council still refused to pursue Dr Payne – something Mr Caton still couldn’t understand.
He added: ‘It’s strange that if we change a small window without permission they’ll come after you, but if you destroy your house they’re allowed to evict you without consequence.’
In March this year, after fighting the case for nine years, the seized items were finally returned to Caton after Dr Payne failed to provide evidence or appear at Truro Magistrates’ Court for a hearing under the Police Property Act to determine who owned them.
This article was first published on April 26, 2024.
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