SHE was the glamorous star of one of Australia's favourite shows, he was a popular former finalist in the Cleo Bachelor of the Year competition. Now it has turned ugly.
Former McLeod's Daughters star Simmone Jade Mackinnon, who had a child with Dominic James,wants to bankrupt her former lover.
Their dispute has come down to a designer watch purchased by Mackinnon to mark the birth of their son.
Mackinnon's lawyers served a bankruptcy notice on James on September 17.
James, a 35-year-old airline pilot who was hailed as a hero for saving the lives of six people after he successfully ditched a plane in the sea off Norfolk Island in 2009, had a brief relationship which produced their son Madigan James Mackinnon on March 19 last year.
Mr James only learned of the pregnancy shortly after they broke up in 2009.
They reconciled shortly before the birth at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital.
Prior to the birth the 38-year-old Mackinnon had discussed the possibility of buying a $4600 Breitling Swiss watch for Mr James to commemorate the occasion. He had long wanted a Breitling Airwolf Quartz watch, a brand which is popular with pilots and is a status symbol.
However, when the couple again split Ms Mackinnon said she decided to return the watch to the jeweller.
Ms Mackinnon told Grafton Local Court court earlier this year that, at the hospital on the day of the birth, Mr James insisted on seeing the watch before she returned it.
She said Mr James asked her: "Can I buy the watch from you? I promise to pay you back within the next two weeks."
She claimed she told him the watch had cost her $4600, and he replied: "That's fine."
Two months later he had emailed Mackinnon telling her he was "trying to get you your money" and that he would have "at least some of it" shortly. When James did not come up with the cash, Ms Mackinnon went to Grafton Local Court.
On August 8 the magistrate accepted Ms Mackinnon's version of events and rejected Mr James' claim the watch was a gift. The magistrate ordered Mr James repay $5832.
James succeeded in a bid to pay the debt by instalment, but Mackinnon has objected. That case is still continuing in the Local Court. James has now applied to the Federal Magistrates Court to set aside the bankruptcy notice.
James is part of Sydney's social set and is friends with celebrities such as TV presenters Jonathon Pease, Laura Csortan and Lizzy Lovette.
He told the court he owns a $575,000 apartment, believed to be in Mosman, with a $371,000 mortgage.
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