Chiswick Barrister Might Face Extradition to Croatia

Ex-wife makes assault allegation during bitter divorce battle

Tamara Katavic (left) and Marc Brittain (right). Picture: Facebook

A Chiswick barrister is fighting extradition to Croatia, where he faces up to three years in prison after his ex‑wife accused him of strangling her during what she describes as years of domestic abuse.

Marc Brittain, 65, a Chancery law specialist, is contesting the charges brought by his former wife, Tamara Katavic, amid a bitter divorce battle that has spanned both the English courts and Ms Katavic ’s native Croatia. The couple, who were married for 15 years and share a son, separated in 2021 following a heated dispute over money.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Ms Katavic alleges that Mr Brittain tried to strangle her and threatened to set fire to their home, claims he vehemently denies. He has described his ex‑wife as a “psychopath ” and a “liar, ” insisting that her accusations are part of a campaign to destroy his reputation and gain advantage in their financial disputes.

The case has drawn attention for its complexity, involving overlapping criminal and civil proceedings in two countries. In addition to the Croatian criminal charges, Mr Brittain is pursuing claims in the High Court for the return of £85,000 he says Ms Katavic took from his bank account, and a separate tribunal claim over a London property.

During a recent hearing before Mr Justice Morris, Mr Brittain said: “They want to bang me up … I ’m not looking forward to three years in a Croatian prison. ” He told the court that the couple ’s relationship had been tempestuous, with police called on several occasions after arguments. He admitted threatening to cut up clothes during one row but denied ever laying hands on his wife.

He said he was arrested in Croatia in December 2021 after Ms Katavic accused him of strangling her, but claimed medical reports showed no signs of injury. “Having cleared my account and I having confronted her, she knew she had to get rid of me, ” he told the judge. His passport was confiscated for seven months following his release from custody.

The Mail reports that Mr Brittain also alleged that Ms Katavic had been living a “double life, ” seeing other men and running a concierge business without his knowledge. He said psychological assessments in Croatia found her “incapable of telling the difference between truth and a lie ” and described her as “a mild psychopath. ”

Ms Katavic, appearing via video link from her home near Rovinj, Croatia, maintained her allegations of domestic abuse and denied taking money or fabricating the assault. “He tried to strangle me, ” she told the court. “He was violent to me, throwing the clothes everywhere, telling me he would put the house on fire. ”

She said the money transferred to her account was for family expenses and that she had been financially dependent on her husband throughout their marriage. “I had no say, I was a homemaker. I couldn’t work,” she said. “My position is I don’t owe him money.”

Mr Justice Morris refused Mr Brittain ’s application to see Ms Katavic ’s unredacted bank statements and agreed to stay his £85,000 claim until the divorce proceedings conclude later this year. “Each party makes extremely serious allegations of misconduct, lies, fraud and deception against the other, ” he said.

Mr Brittain ’s extradition case is ongoing. A judge at Westminster Magistrates ’ Court heard on Monday that he is suffering from a serious heart condition. A further hearing will take place later this year to determine whether he will be sent to Croatia to face trial.