"Soon after release from prison in November 1990, Mr Redsell promised to pay the£30,000 by means of a car at an agreed valuation of£3000 and the balance at£500 per month. After 2 instalments he paid no more, and was in breach of the agreement as to payment. Subsequently and as [a] result the Claimant treated the agreement as at an end."
"I find that the agreement reached by the parties was to share the land as joint owners with Mr Wilkie retaining the land shaded white..."
"From all the above evidence I found that Mr Wilkie's case was supported by other evidence whereas on the whole Mr Redsell's was out of step with other evidence."
"With regard to the honesty or otherwise of the Defendant he said he pleaded not guilty to the charges of handling stolen motor cars he was asked by [counsel for Mr Wilkie] whether he gave evidence. His first reaction was to say he could not remember then he said he refused to answer. [Counsel] then suggested his defence to the charge was he was one of a number of persons taking advantage of the land and in spite of being pressed all he would say was 'No Comment.' Whilst that may be within an accused's rights in a police station it is not open to a Defendant to refuse to answer a question properly asked in a civil court. It was just one of a number of pieces of evidence, to most of which I have already referred which leads me to the conclusion that Mr Redsell will say whatever is in his best interests at any given time with scant regard for the truth."
"In it [the accused's] said his interest in the land went back to approximately 1980. He then goes on to say 'I first worked on the land paying rent to Mr Wilkie.' When asked about that, which was inconsistent with his testimony, he said it was a mistake on the part of Mr Lowe [the solicitor concerned with taking the declaration]. The Statutory Declaration continues 'We then became partners in the land.' When asked by me what he understood by that phrase he said he understood it to mean sharing the ownership of the land. When he was asked about that he said he and Mr Wilkie had never been partners in the land and he was not taking much notice whilst [the solicitor] was writing this down. It continues: 'Approximately five years ago we agreed orally between ourselves that in view of the money I have spent he would transfer title. I gave him a further cash sum of£5,000 .' [Counsel] asserted in cross-examination that was a completely different account from the one now being advanced."
"So far as the statutory declaration is concerned I have formed the view that the first part represented the truth of the situation and the second part was entirely dishonest to bolster Mr Redsell's case and ensure a caution was registered."
"1. A Declaration that the claimant holds the red land on trust for the defendant absolutely. 2. Alternatively, a declaration that the claimant holds the red land on trust for himself and the defendant in equal shares on terms that the defendant and his family have and enjoy exclusive possession of the dwelling thereon and its curtilage unless and until the defendant disposes of his interest in the red land. 3. Further or alternatively, an order that the contract made between the parties in 1988 whereunder the claimant would convey the red land to the defendant be specifically performed, the defendant paying the balance of the purchase price, namely£26,000 and the claimant transferring title to the red land to the defendant. 4. Further or alternatively, an order that the contract made between the parties in 1988 whereunder the claimant would convey a half share in the red land to the defendant be specifically performed, the defendant paying the balance of the purchase price, namely£26,000 and the claimant transferring title to the red land in to their joint names to be held on trust for them in equal shares on terms that the defendant and his family have and enjoy exclusive possession of the dwelling thereon and its curtilage unless and until the defendant disposes of his interest in the land."
"... I asked Mr Redsell during his evidence whether he had the funds available to complete the purchase, expecting him to give some indication that he had approached the bank, for example, but he gave no indication as to how he might raise the money and simply insisted he would be in a position to complete the purchase. That assertion without any evidence to support it in the context of the findings I have made about Mr Redsell's veracity is not sufficient for me to be satisfied he ready, willing and able to complete."
"Mr Wilkie allowed Mr Redsell to build a house and once built allowed Mr Redsell to treat it as his own."
"'The rule of law applicable to the case appears to me to be this: If a man, under a verbal agreement with a landlord for a certain interest in land, or, what amounts to the same thing, under an expectation, created or encouraged by the landlord,' - my italics - 'that he shall have a certain interest, takes possession of such land, with the consent of the landlord, and upon the faith of such promise or expectation, with the knowledge of the landlord, and without objection by him, lays out money upon the land, a court of equity will compel the landlord to give effect to such promise or expectation.'"
"He asked me then if he can carry on and build a house. I said, 'yes.' But I still wanted my money."
"Once you got the£30,000 , presuming he paid you the£30,000 , who was going to own the land then?"
"We were in joint partnership."
"The actual building would be his because he put it up"
"... the purchaser, having paid the deposits on and having entered into possession of the land, became the equitable owner of the land under a contract binding on the vendor such that the vendor could not now object to specific performance on the ground of laches unless he could show that he had not acquiesced in the purchaser's acts of possession or that the purchaser had abandoned the contract; and that the evidence showed sufficient acquiescence by him and no abandonment by the purchaser. Accordingly, despite the lapse of time, the purchaser was entitled to specific performance on payment of the balance of the price and interest thereon for the intervening years."
"Once the purchaser went into possession of the land, having the contractual right to be there, he not only had an equity to be there, but also the benefit of a contract to sell him these two plots. That was not only an equity: it was an equitable interest in the land. He was in a sense the equitable owner of the land. So long as he was in possession of the land, he does not lose his rights simply by not proceeding at once for specific performance."
"...equity will not apply the principle about clean hands unless the depravity, the dirt in question on the hand, has an immediate and necessary relation to the equity sued for."