An extraordinary dispute between a celebrated former champion golfer turned lawyer and her upmarket tenants that has raged for seven years and cost around a million pounds in legal fees was heard by a High Court judge today. Problems began in 2018 when Vivien Saunders OBE, who won the Women’s British Open in 1977, raised concerns about water bills paid by the occupants of luxury lodges on land she owns. She later accused them of illegally tapping into her water supply. Since then, they have faced a barrage of accusations claiming they had breached the conditions of their 125-year lease, while the bad blood has seen Ms Saunders, 78, convicted of common assault. The lodge owners say Ms Saunders would benefit to the tune of millions of pounds if they are kicked off the land for contravening the conditions of the lease as she wants to develop the site – a claim she firmly denies. Speaking to the Mail as the latest eye-wateringly expensive two-week hearing kicked off, one resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It’s monetary – it’s an excuse. 'By saying people are not adhering to the lease, she can claim the lease… there would be a windfall for her.’ But Ms Saunders, who said both parties had spent around £500,000 on the case, responded: ‘Knickers. Write that down – K. N. I. C. K. E. R. S. ‘Absolute nonsense, complete and utter nonsense. It’s all about trespass into water pipes.’ The land in question is home to 20 log chalets worth around £250,000 each at Abbotsley Country Homes in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, next door to disused 200-acre Abbotsley Golf Course, which Ms Saunders owns and wants to convert into a residential estate. Next to the site is Eynesbury Manor, where she lives. The land was bought in three tranches between 1986 and 1991 by the golfer, who qualified as a solicitor 43 years ago and has been a member of Mensa for half a century. Legal submissions to the High Court, sitting in Cambridge County Court, heard that she and her company, Abbotsley Ltd, claim the defendants trespassed on her land to tap into the water supply. They say the issue dates back to a water pipe that should have been connected to the mains when the lodges were built but was instead hooked up to her supply without her knowledge. The initial disagreement subsequently mushroomed into claims the lodge owners were breaching rules that specify they can only live in them for 11 months of the year and must own primary residences elsewhere. Other allegations include one lodge being used for ‘commercial purposes’, some having large sheds, machinery being used to drill a borehole and incorrect insurance. A previous High Court judge dismissed calls for the chalet owners to forfeit the lease and for the land to be repossessed due to the alleged breaches. The decision was upheld at an appeal – leading to the latest hearing on the same issues. Ms Saunders was convicted of common assault in 2023 and lost an appeal against the conviction in October last year after she drove her Mercedes 4x4 into lodge owner Jill Beresford-Ambridge, who was on crutches at the time. Magistrates at the trial in Peterborough and a retrial in Cambridge heard she nudged Ms Beresford-Ambridge with the vehicle after driving to the site when another chalet owner complained to her about gardening being carried out by neighbours. Speaking after the later hearing, Ms Saunders raged: ‘If I want to play an international golf match in America in two years’ time, I may not be able to go. The whole ramifications of a criminal conviction are disastrous.’ During the opening submissions today, the court heard that she was the previously unnamed ‘neighbour’ referred to in an inquest in December last year where Neil Warren, 70, took his own life in April 2023 following a separate long-running dispute. A High Court injunction prevented him and other residents from photographing or videoing land surrounding their homes and he became ‘obsessed with not stepping out of line’. Coroner Caroline Jones returned a verdict of suicide after hearing the case had a ‘significant and damaging bearing’ on the retired businessman’s mental health and he lived in constant fear of its consequences, including possibly leaving him bankrupt. Ms Saunders had also assaulted him in May 2020 by spraying water on him, the inquest heard. Ms Jones acknowledged the various disputes that affected Mr Warren but concluded their content and nature were ‘entirely separate from the coronial enquiry’. Sporting legend Ms Saunders was made an OBE in the 1998 New Years Honours list for services to women’s golf and stood against then Prime Minister David Cameron in Witney in the 2015 General Election as leader of the Reduce VAT in Sport party. Her barrister, Kerry Bretherton KC told Judge Karen Walden-Smith today that the ‘water dispute’ was just one of the ‘different elements to this case’. She said: ‘A large part of this case is what I will refer to as very serious anti-social behaviour directed against my client and a long history of acrimony.’ While her client’s two assault convictions couldn’t be changed, she claimed the latest was more about ‘perception’ and followed a ‘long period of lobbying the police’. ‘There’s email after email [from lodge owners to police] saying “Please prosecute her”,’ Ms Bretherton added. ‘There was a campaign to have her convicted and I do say that’s an important context. ‘It’s important to understand that my client is not just someone who’s attempted to be difficult.’ Pheasantland – the management company which bought the leasehold for the land for £325,000 in 2017 before selling the rights to lodge owners in 40 shares – plus 14 of the occupants themselves, claim the stopcock for the water to their homes was repeatedly switched off and the pipe was then damaged by a digger. They claim they had a verbal agreement for water to be supplied and they would be charged according to meter readings. In their submission, they argued: ‘It is not credible that a company would construct log chalets without a potable water connection, without which they would not have been saleable.’ They also claim to have invoices showing they were billed for the water between 2011 and 2017 but problems began in 2018 when they received a huge bill and Ms Saunders started charging them a ten per cent ‘management fee’. Speaking outside the court, one of the residents said: ‘If she takes over the lease, all the shares are worthless and we lose everything. ‘We’re all of an age. Most are retired. The eldest is 87 and the youngest is about 57. ‘She was found guilty of assault [against Ms Beresford-Ambridge] by her own dash cam. She was found guilty and appealed and was found guilty again. ‘She won’t give up – that’s half the problem. Everyone thinks “If she doesn’t win this, is she going to appeal?” ‘That’s how she wins. She takes people to court and they run out of money.’ Another defendant, retired special educational needs support worker Carol Berwick, who moved to the site in 2022, said: ‘I bought what I thought was the most beautiful, secure, quiet, lovely place and it’s just turned into a nightmare. ‘People have depression and do not talk to their neighbours. They cannot sleep at night. ‘A lot of people are so desperate to move away – including the people that sold me mine. They did not declare it [the legal battle].’ Judge Walden-Smith told the warring parties today that ‘feelings in this case run higher than one would normally expect’ and it would be helpful if ‘everybody exercises a little restraint’. She added: ‘It is, of course, very sad this litigation had some impact upon Mr Warren that resulted in him taking his own life… ‘With that in mind, I would ask everyone to stay calm and show a bit of sympathy and empathy.’ The case continues.