Couple cry over spilt milk ... on a silk rug that sparked a court battle, costing them £18,000

Published on Friday 16 March 2007 01:05

THERE is no use crying over spilt milk, the saying goes. But what if it costs you £18,000?

That's the question facing a Scottish couple who have been left with a substantial legal bill after losing a five-day trial that centred on an alleged milk stain on an Egyptian silk rug.

Property developers Duncan and Sandee Gregson took the rug home "on approval" in September 2005 but tried to return it two months later.

However, shop owner Mervat Walton noticed a stain on the rug and took the couple to court to force them to pay.

The dispute centred on whether the stain was from milk, as Mrs Walton claimed, or the result of the silk rug "shimmering" in certain light, which was the Gregsons' defence.

Sheriff Robert McCreadie ruled in the shopkeeper's favour and ordered the couple to pay the full price of 3,500.

They were also ordered to pay the cost of the case at Perth Sheriff Court.

Last night, Mrs Gregson, 48, said fighting the court case had left her and her husband 18,000 out of pocket.

She added: "I wish we could appeal but we can't afford it. We still haven't got the rug back because it is at the court.

"We will probably sell the bloody thing because I don't want to look at it anymore. It is driving us insane."

Mrs Gregson was a neighbour and known customer of Mrs Walton's store in Meigle, Perthshire, when she spotted the six square-metre rug hanging on the wall.

Her husband said the 4,000 asking price was too expensive, but they agreed to pay 3,500 cash by December 2005. But when the couple returned with the rug in November, Mrs Walton noticed the stains and refused to accept the return.

In his ruling yesterday, Sheriff McCreadie said: "The next development was the return of Mr Gregson with the rug on 11 November. He told [Mrs Walton] that it had been cleaned, and the cleaner had told him milk had been spilled over it. Mrs Walton thought that made sense, since the Gregsons had a little girl.

"However, when she opened the rug, she found there were still stains. Some had been removed but others were more obvious. Her opinion was that whoever had tried to clean the rug had discoloured it."

Fiona Hepworth, a shop employee, told the court she was "shocked" when Mr Gregson came back to the store and dumped the stained rug.

Mrs Walton, who had paid around 2,000 for the rug in Egypt, told the court she believed she had "a gentleman's agreement" to sell it to the Gregsons. She said it was the first time she had done a deal this way, but had trusted the Gregsons because their home at Toad Hall, Meigle, meant they were near-neighbours.

Yesterday, Mrs Walton said: "It was a magnificent rug, but I will be glad to see the back of it now. This has caused a lot of stress, not just for me, but for my whole family.

"I dealt with the Gregsons as people I trusted. Some of the things they said about me in the courtroom hurt me badly.

"It has been a great lesson for me not to trust anybody. It was an expensive lesson. At the end of the day the sheriff understood what happened."

SILK ROAD TO A PREMIUM PRICE

WHILE 3,500 may seem a lot to pay for a rug, many factors determine the pricetag. Rarity value and the quality of the weaving itself are key, but one of the most important elements is the fibre used.

Rugs tend to be made from either wool or silk. The latter is much harder to work with, meaning it is time intensive, but the results are generally of a higher quality, so rugs woven with silk command a higher price.

The other main element is quality of dyes used. Great skill is required in mixing the colours, and this can mean the difference between a good rug and a bad rug.