A WARRINGTON businessman accused of murdering his millionaire girlfriend in Paris appeared in court today to face extradition to France.
Ian Griffin celebrated his 40th birthday in Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he appeared wearing a navy blue Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt and jeans.
He appeared confused by the proceedings and when asked if he wanted to consent to his extradition said: “I'm not up to speed at all. I'm all awash here. I've just got back, literally an hour ago.”
He then refused to consent and was remanded in custody until his extradition hearing on June 10.
Griffin is no stranger to extradition to France – in May 2000 he found himself in a Madrid jail on fraud charges and was ordered to France by French Interpol.
Griffin went on the run last Tuesday after the body of 36-year-old Kinga Legg, was found battered by a cleaner in the bathroom of the couple’s suite at the exclusive Hotel Le Bristol in Paris.
The former Culcheth High School pupil with a love for flashy living, surrounding himself with fast cars and speed boats, was found by Cheshire Police living rough in a tent in woods at Farmwood Pool in, Chelford, Macclesfield, on Monday afternoon.
He had fled the £1,000-a-night Paris hotel, a favourite of President Nicolas Sarkozy, in his black Porsche 911, which was recovered by police at the home of his parents, Janet and Bernard, on Delph Lane, Winwick on Thursday.
The Polish born international businesswoman was lying naked in the bathtub and had suffered multiple injuries.
Her hotel room was destroyed, with radiators ripped from the walls and 18th century furniture and vases smashed, it is claimed.
Griffin’s lawyer, Stephen Vullo, explained that although he was first arrested on June 1, he was only given the details of the order yesterday.
He said he had not been properly briefed by his client and the order was resisted.
District Judge Daphne Wickham adjourned the case until next Wednesday June 10.
She read out a part of the European arrest warrant which read: 'A member of the security services of Hotel Bristol found the body on May 26. The defendant is wanted in connection with the offence of murder.'
The couple had been renting a home on Oxshott's Crown Estate in Surrey, home to several Chelsea footballers and where properties cost up to £4 million.
Ms Legg was the owner and director of Vegex, a large Polish company that exports tomatoes to McDonald’s and several British supermarkets.
Her father, Jan Wolf, speaking from his home in Opotawek, Poland, said: “Our sorrow is overflowing. My daughter helped create many jobs here and people in the village perhaps do not realise how successful she was.”
Griffin, who once claimed to be worth £46million, posted a series of boastful entries touting his wealth on Friends Reunited telling former schoolmates: “I do not feel it is necessary to bore you all with my incredible success over the past 17 years. I would just like to say if any of you have mustered up a fraction of what I have accomplished, Well done! If not, contact my PA for some advice.
“I have read all your notes, and to be quite frank none of you sorry lot have accomplished anything apart from babies, dogs and goldfish.”
Former schoolmates have berated him on the social networking site.
One message from Paula Gilmore read: “What an accomplishment, on the run suspected of killing your millionaire girlfriend who you've been living off after failed businesses and bankruptcy. To use your words ‘what a sorry state of affairs’.”
Griffin built a string of businesses including tanning salons and gadget shops across north west England but it is understood he was declared bankrupt in 2006.
In January 2002, he hit the headlines with his Pin Laden dolls – a pin cushion of Osama Bin Laden, the man blamed for the September 11 attacks on New York.
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