Academic Couple Split Over Pasta And Picture Frame Rows

Restraining Order: Prof. Squintani

A respected academic couple, who both hold professorships at leading universities, split after police were called to heated rows over pasta and picture frames at their £1m home, a court heard.

Francesco Squintani, 46, Professor of Economics at Warwick University was arrested after wife Leila Simona Talani, 46, claimed she was pushed over and punched and kicked.

She is the Professor of European Political Economy at King’s College London, having previously taught at the European Institute of the London School of Economics.

Prof. Squintani, of Neville Court, Castle Lane, Warwick has always denied assaulting Prof. Talani at the former matrimonial home in Lower Richmond Road, Putney on January 21.

He also pleaded not guilty to assaulting an 8 year-old boy on the same occasion and today at Wimbledon Magistrates Court the prosecution dropped the case on the day of trial.

However, due to a history of police call-outs during rows Prof. Squintani was made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him directly contacting his estranged wife or the boy.

Prosecutor Mary Lawrenson told the court: “There was an argument over picture frames and whether pictures should be up on the wall or not.

Split: Prof. Leila Talani

“The argument goes further than merely verbal and during the course of the row the complainant says this defendant pushes her in such as way that she goes to the floor.”

During a previous hearing the court heard Prof. Talani banged her head and received a punch and a kick from her husband and the young boy was pushed.

There was no bleeding, but Prof. Talani says she suffered pain to her head from the bump and to her upper body from the kick.

“There have been previous police call-outs to the address as a result of rows, including one when the wife was giving away pasta to charity,” explained Miss Lawrenson.

“The complainant is content with the restraining order and it is to protect both parties.”

District Judge James Henderson told Prof. Squintani: “Given the nature of these allegations and the fact there has been previous call-outs by the police there is a necessity to make a restraining order to protect your ex-wife from harassment from you.”

Prof. Squintani is the author of several publications on economics and is a founding editor of the journal of the European Political Science Association.

He has presented his work to research seminars at leading universities all over the globe and also held positions at the USA’s Princeton University and University of California Los Angeles.

Prof. Talani is also a multi-published author, who has lectured at the University of Bath and achieved a PhD with distinction at the European University Institute of Florence.