Lifestyle

Tragic Fall of Woman Locked in Legal Battle over £2.7 Million Mansion Leaves Twist

Published on July 21, 2025

A woman who tragically fell to her death from a tower block was locked in a bitter legal battle with her antiques dealer ex-fiancé over the £2.7 million home they once shared. Rachel O’Hare, 49, had launched a High Court case against Owen Pacey, 60, claiming she had rights to their sprawling five-storey Georgian townhouse in Spitalfields.

The pair, who were once in a whirlwind relationship, had split before things turned legal. Rachel accused Owen — known for creating antique fireplaces for the likes of Mick Jagger and Naomi Campbell — of locking her out of the home, refusing to let her collect her things, and threatening to wreck the place, including its art and high-end furniture.

She also claimed he’d stopped contributing to bills and ignored their financial agreements. Despite everything, they were still due to face each other in court in the coming months. But just four days after their last hearing in Leeds, Rachel was found dead after falling from a flat window in Manchester. Authorities have confirmed her death is not being treated as suspicious, reported the Mirror.

The row between them stemmed from a property purchase back in June 2021. After less than a year together, Rachel said she was persuaded to buy the house in both their names. She secured a loan and used part of a divorce settlement to cover the cost. Legal papers show the couple signed an agreement stating that the surviving partner would inherit the house if one of them died.

Now, following Rachel’s death, the £2.7 million 18th-century home has passed entirely to Owen, as per the terms of that agreement. Before her death, Rachel insisted that Owen had agreed to pay his share within two years by selling a £1.2 million maisonette he owned. She also said he promised to sign over half of his £5 million fireplace business to her until the maisonette sale went through.

Court documents backed up her claims, stating: “The first defendant (Mr Pacey) said he had no money to contribute when the property was purchased but would be able to pay the claimant for his share in due course.”

Originally from the Wirral, Rachel was pronounced dead at the scene in Manchester city centre on 30 June. Emergency crews were called to Great Ancoats Street at around 7am, where her body was discovered near the Leonardo Hotel and Victoria House apartments. The area was cordoned off as police launched an investigation.

An inquest into Rachel’s death is set to begin next week, but police have already confirmed there’s no indication of third-party involvement.

What was shaping up to be a drawn-out courtroom drama has now taken a devastating turn, leaving behind heartbreak, unanswered questions, and a multimillion-pound property at the centre of it all.

Don’t Miss These: