A WOMAN banned from leaving Mauritius is missing out on seeing her terminally ill father over claims she stole household items from a villa she once shared with her rich-lister ex.
Teresa de Freitas, 47, is accused of swiping an ￡89.95 Nespresso machine and ￡222 White Company bedding, among other appliances, from a villa she once shared with her former partner Terry Smith, 68, on the paradise island.
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Teresa de Freitas is banned from leaving Mauritius Credit: Facebook 3
Terry Smith has accused Teresa of stealing the items from a home they shared Credit: FundSmith
The couple spent 13 years together before their separation triggered bitter legal battles in February last year.
The stockbroker, who has previously been dubbed "Britain's Warren Buffet", launched eight legal claims against Teresa who filed four of her own in response, The Guardian reported.
Mr Smith accused her of embezzling money from an account she had access to, taking household items without authorisation and are disputing over car ownership.
She was arrested and bailed following the accusations of the stolen property in April.
Teresa strongly denied the claims, saying she purchased the items herself but returned them as a "gesture of good will".
She has previously said she is being "victimised for having left a powerful and rich man".
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Now the messy proceedings have stopped her from leaving the country to visit her sick father who is receiving palliative care in Madeira for pancreatic cancer.
Teresa must seek the court's approval before she can take the 6,000 mile trip to be by his side after she was forced to surrender her passport due to the cases.
She said: "It is like your basic right as a human being is taken away from you. It is depraved in a way, it is wrong.
"I am supposed to have stolen a Nespresso machine and I can't go and see my dying father? How can you do this to a woman in the 21st century?
"It is this idea that you are trapped. You are on a tiny island in the middle of the south Indian Ocean where leaving illegally has long term consequences."
In a statement provided to the Sunday Times through his lawyers, Mr Smith offered no sympathy.
He said: "She surely can see a justification for her arrest since she stole truckloads of my belongings, to which she confessed.
"Without Ms de Freitas' actions there could be no arrest. If this is now causing her difficulties with regards to travel, perhaps she should consider her own actions as the source of the problem, not mine, but I doubt she will."
Mr Smith, who is based in Mauritius, had previously written to Teresa hinting to come to an agreement should he be able to maintain a relationship with her child who he is not the biological father of.
In February, before the legal battle was launched, he said: "As a result of your volte face and unwillingness to even respond to proposals I have started taking action.
“I intend to pursue legal action against you in every respect in whatever jurisdiction you are in indefinitely. Even if I don’t win I will cause you problems for years.”
He had added: “However, I am still prepared to reach agreement with you.”
In October, Mr Smith's lawyers said these quotes were taken out of context from a longer private email.
They said it would be his preference to amicably settle the dispute between himself and De Freitas.
The financier assured Teresa "all proceedings will stop" if he was allowed access her daughter.
A court date is scheduled for tomorrow where Teresa will find out if she is allowed to travel to see her dad.
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Mr Smith lives and operates his business in Mauritius where he shared a home with Teresa Credit: Getty