A businessman involved in a bitter £10 million family feud is applying to have his own mother jailed.
Michael Loveridge, 50, says he has spent his whole life building up the family caravan empire from “modest” beginnings.
But mum Ivy, 75, and dad Alldey, 78, who are still majority shareholders in some of the family’s companies, disagree.
The couple were in overall charge of the business until Michael obtained court orders granting him effective control.
His lawyer Brian Averill has now told the Court of Appeal that his client is bringing "an application to have his 75-year-old mother sent to prison”.
The claim relates to ‘contempt of court’ for allegedly breaching the order he obtained at a hearing earlier this year.
Mr Averill said: "Michael, with tremendous misgiving and great upset, is applying to commit his mother to prison, but he doesn't know what else to do.
"Michael had a legitimate expectation that he should have management of these companies.
"He expects legitimately to control these companies and enjoy the full financial benefit of his shareholding.”
The family own five businesses relating to static caravan park sites based in the Worcestershire area.
Lance Ashworth QC, for the parents told the court Ivy and Alldey are being “wrongly kept out of control”.
He added: “The businesses to which the appeals relate represent the life work of Ivy and Alldey, who are now respectively 75 and 78.
“Any litigation causes stress. Interim injunctions that have the effect of ousting people from control of businesses they have built up over a lifetime even more so.”
Lady Justice Carr ruled the hearing of appeals against the orders should be heard as quickly as possible.
She added: "This is an increasingly bitter family dispute.”
The case will return now for a full hearing later this year.
