Groom Cleared Of Harassing Designer During Wedding Dress Row

Not Guilty: Pedro Makufi

A desperate groom told his bride's dress designer on the day of the wedding: "The next time we meet one of us will die and that will be you," during a bitter dispute over the £2,455 gown.

Designer Samantha Benveniste - a protege of Bruce Oldfield OBE - graduated with a degree from the London College of Fashion and opened her own Kensington studio, creating bespoke garments for private clients.

She created a wedding dress for Elisa Makufi, but her husband Pedro Makufi, 43, was arrested after a series of distressing texts and voicemails, which he claims he deliberately made to bring the conflict to a head and achieve justice.

Police even visited his home at his request on the day of the wedding, which later proceeded with Mrs Makufi wearing a substitute dress.

On Tuesday the CPS announced they would not seek a re-trial against Makufi, of Hobart Road, Hayes on one count of harassment, which between March 1 and April 5, last year put Miss Benveniste in fear of violence.

"Threatened": Samantha Benveniste

The first Isleworth Crown Court trial, which ended in a hung jury, heard Makufi left a series of voicemails, including: "You've destroyed me, you've ruined my happiness. You really pissed me off, you really insult me, you ruin my happiness and wedding day."

"I promise that it will cost you a lot. I want to spend all I can to take you to court and do justice by my own hand."

"The next time we meet one of us will die and that will be you."

He told the jury: "When I sent that text it was a few hours before my wedding. I was completely lost, I did not know what my wife was going to wear. I wanted the police to be involved."

Makufi admits he sent other messages, which included: "I'm ready to do anything for what you've done to me."

"The only way you can avoid it is to kill me. First I swear to Allah. You can pass this message to the police."

Miss Benveniste told the jury she had completed the dress and the Makufi's were at fault. "They cancelled the day before the wedding. The dress was done, I had done the work."

However, the couple insist the gown was not completed in time and they should have had a full refund. Mrs Makufi told the designer: "You're always messing me up. You're always changing the price."

Miss Benveniste told the court Makufi demanded a meeting outside Notting Hill Underground Station the day before the wedding, where he expected a full refund - plus interest.

"He asked me to come with the dress and the money on my own, I'm ninety per cent sure. This was quite a traumatic experience for me. I was shaken by the whole thing."

She said she found the voicemails "disturbing", adding: "It put me in shock. I didn't see it coming. I felt extremely threatened."

Bride: Elisa Makufi

"The tone of the voice message was so fierce."

The Makufi's decided it was too expensive for the designer to make the husband a new suit, but he gave her his favourite one, which was to be matched with the bridal gown for a £1,000 charge. This was never paid. 

"They were taking the mickey," added Miss Benveniste.

Makufi claims the designer was frightened of the prospect of adverse publicity and huge court costs in fighting a civil claim against him and he sent messages to force police involvement on his wedding day to get justice.

He told the jury: "We had a very good relationship until 5.51pm on April 4. I sent a text not to frighten her, but make her realise: 'I've broken all my promises to Pedro'

"I think reading the texts she's gonna feel: 'Pedro is desperate for his suit and dress so let me do something.' I felt I'd done business with the wrong person."

The ceremony proceeded the next day, April 5, with his wife wearing an alternative dress and Makufi found a replacement suit.

He said he waited with wife until 10pm outside the tube station, adding: "If she did not give me the dress and the money I would take her to court.

"When I told her I was ready to do anything it meant doing all I can to take her to court to get back what belongs to me. It was not for her to take it as violence."