A wealthy retired company director caught in a love triangle tried to kill himself, dressed like a tramp and slept rough, a jury has heard.

The state of Edward Hickson distressed his stepdaughter Suzette Booth so much, she wrote to his "other woman" pleading with her to leave her stepfather.

She believed his finances were low because of the cash he had spent on concert pianist Annette Servedea.

"My father has only a few years of life left to him. He is really not a healthy man and deserves to spend them in comfort. He cannot afford to support you and your family," wrote Mrs Booth.

Unknown to her, the prosecution allege, Mr Hickson's financial advisor Peter Barlow was using his client's mental state to steal about £400,000 from him.

Barlow, aged 57, of Tadcaster Road, Copmanthorpe, denies three charges of theft involving Mr Hickson's money and eight of theft from trusts set up by former farmer Alec Ingham of Brandsby near Easingwold.

Giving evidence at Leeds Crown Court, Mrs Booth alleged that her stepfather, a retired director of Hazelwood Foods PLC, suddenly left her mother Audrey Hickson in 1986 after more than 25 years of marriage to be with Mrs Servedea.

He spent large amounts of money on her including buying a £80,000 property for her and her children.

But he couldn't choose between the two women in his life and was constantly moving between them.

Mrs Booth agreed with defence suggestions that she regarded the pianist as a "gold-digger" because she had little money before meeting Mr Hickson and that relations were at times strained between her stepfather and herself.

Gradually, over some years, his behaviour changed and he became extremely volatile.

"Before he left my mother, he was just Dad," she said. "After that he seemed a totally different person. It was not just because he was not living with us, it was his behaviour."

In the late 1980s or early 1990s, he tried to kill himself and spent some time in a psychiatric hospital.

He wore ragged clothes and down-at-heel shoes.

"He was almost a tramp," claimed Mrs Booth.

But when she suggested he bought new clothes he told her: "I cannot be spending all my money like this."

Seeking impartial help, she repeatedly contacted Barlow.

He told her that Mr Hickson was in a "state of mental imbalance".

Mrs Booth alleged that she was also concerned about the way Mr Hickson was making gifts and loans indiscriminately "as if money was going out of fashion".

When he gave her a cheque in late 1993 or early 1994, but warned her not to cash it for two weeks, she asked Barlow what Mr Hickson's finances were.

He told her there was plenty of money and that Mr Hickson's mind was still unbalanced, alleged Mrs Booth.

In September 1994, after Mr Hickson was diagnosed as epileptic, Mrs Booth wrote to Mrs Servedea, pleading with her to leave him and the house he had bought her.

The jury has heard that although Mr and Mrs Hickson got a decree nisi, it was never finalised and they are now living together again.

Mr Hickson has told the jury: "I am the happiest man alive."

The case continues.

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