EXCLUSIVE: Champ loses battle to get wife back

 

Bruno's broken heart

By Phil Taylor

BOXING hero Frank Bruno has failed in his heart-rending bid to win back wife Laura.

The former world heavyweight champ, who's battling mental illness, was reunited with Laura on a family holiday in Jamaica in January.

To the delight of friends and relatives Frank then moved into Laura's new home.

But sad pals say he has now decided to buy a house of his own after the couple failed to rekindle their romance.

Last night a close friend of 43-year-old Frank confirmed: "They are NOT an item.

"Everyone hoped Frank and Laura would get back together for good. But it was sadly not to be.

Better

"Frank has been in a fragile state for a while, but he is much better now and is looking for a place of his own."

The News of the World exclusively revealed how Frank and Laura enjoyed their holiday together in Jamaica with children Nicola, 25, Rachel 18, and Franklyn, nine. They shared a family room at the Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay.

Relaxed and happy on his first holiday with Laura and their kids since their divorce in 2001, Frank told us at the time: "It's a big move and we're getting on well."

He beamed: "It was my daughter Nicola's idea. She asked if we could all go on holiday together. We're having a lovely time."

Frank looked very much in love and, when asked at their hotel if their romance was back on, Laura said: "You'll have to ask Frank. He's the boss!"

Britain's best-loved boxer had sold his £2.5million mansion in Stondon Massey, Essex, admitting: "The house is too big for me—it's getting lonely."

So after their two-week holiday Laura invited Frank to stay at the five-bedroom house she had bought from their divorce settlement.

Order

But last night his pal added: "Sadly their reunion has not had the dream ending we hoped for.

"Frank adores Laura, but while they have been living together Laura has made it clear she just wants to remain good friends."

The couple had been married for 11 years. But their relationship ended after allegations by Laura that Frank was violent—something he has always denied.

Laura obtained a court order banning her husband from assaulting, molesting or harassing her. After their divorce, she received a reputed £5million settlement.

The split, Frank's retirement from the ring and the suicide of his former trainer George Francis took a devastating toll on the boxer and he suffered a nervous breakdown.

At his lowest point, the sad 6ft 3in, 17-stone giant slept in a boxing ring in his garden, cycled around in bare feet and became convinced he was jockey Frankie Dettori.

In 2003 he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

But Laura, 43, stood by him and visited Frank every day for the four weeks he was in a psychiatric hospital being treated for manic depression.

Despite everything, the friend added: "Sadly, too much water has gone under the bridge for Laura to take Frank back for good.

"Laura wants to remain the best of friends, but romance is not on the cards. Frank really needs emotional support and Laura gives that to him.

"He realises he has one thing left in the relationship and that is his kids, he adores them.

"Frank is looking for a new home in Essex so he can be near them. But he has come to realise that there will not be a happy ending."

When the News of the World contacted Frank, he said: "I don't want to comment. I'm not going there.

"But I'm alive—I mustn't grumble."

Linda and beat up her 17-year-old son Craig because he is gay

Menacing

And she described how she was pushed over the edge by a hate campaign waged by thugs who kicked in her front door, smashed garden ornaments, stole fish from the pond, attacked cars parked on the driveway and stole equipment from the shed.

They also made menacing phone calls to the family house in Urmston, Greater Manchester, threatening to rape Linda and beat up her 17-year-old son Craig because he is gay Fitness

.

"This all started more than two years ago when our home was vandalised and since then it's got worse," said Linda, head of year 11 at Salford's New Park School, with an unblemished 25-year record in education.

"My sons' cars had wing mirrors ripped off and the shed was broken into. Then Craig Fitness

started getting these abusive phone calls.

"The police said it would take three months to investigate because of data protection laws and I was furious. I couldn't stand the thought of my son putting up with that for another three months.

"The final straw came when I saw washing-up liquid had been poured all over Craig's white Ford Fiesta. I just couldn't take any more—and it was time to stand up to these people."

Linda stormed out of her quiet cul-de-sac and spotted a gang of youths. "When I saw them they fronted up to me," she told us.

"I said I'd go and get a gun and they told me to do it—so I did. This gang had been making our lives a misery for a long time and I wanted to show them I wasn't afraid."

After going back indoors and picking up partner John Cavanagh's Walther CP88 pellet pistol, Linda phoned the police and said: "I'm going to that field over the road and I'm going to shoot the vandals."

Outside she was confronted by four lads and fired at the feet of two of them. Both have criminal pasts. Robert McKiernan, 18, has been convicted of burglary and criminal damage and 16-year-old Nicholas Viollett is a proven shoplifter. "The gun wasn't loaded and I fired it just to show that me and my family weren't putting up with them any more," insisted Linda Celebrity Fitness

.

"I realise now that I overstepped the mark but nevertheless I shouldn't be here in prison. There are people in that gang who have committed crimes and they're not locked away, so why should I be?

Idiots

"These louts get away with troubling innocent families but as soon as I have a go back I'm sent to jail. It's wrong."

During Linda's trial McKiernan and Viollett both denied damaging Craig's car. The other lads ran off before police arrived. As part of Linda's appeal her lawyers are now trying to compile evidence to show that some of the boys she confronted had been on her property in the past and that's why she reacted. Her partner John, a 56-year-old college lecturer, told us: "We think the trouble all started with bullies from the school where Craig and his twin James went.

"We called police but they've never caught anyone. These idiots were stopping us living a peaceful life and sometimes they'd even stand outside the house chanting at us."

Although the family insist they complained 15 times, Manchester police say they only have records of three incidents, which were all investigated but no arrests were made.

As well as launching her appeal, Linda is battling to save her job at New Park, where daughter Donna, 20, also works as a teaching assistant. Linda is currently suspended.

"We're a total law-abiding family and have never been in trouble," she told us.

"Even other inmates have said I shouldn't be here. But I'm determined to clear my name and will fight for that all the way."