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Home / Lifestyle

UK man who left wife, kids for Ukrainian refugee ends relationship

By Rebekah Scanlan
news.com.au·
27 Sep, 2022 12:01 AM4 mins to read

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How police faked car crimes in hunt for women who sparked a lockdown, long weekend ram-raids shock the public and Italy go far right in the latest NZ Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

A British father who left his wife for the "sexy" Ukrainian refugee they took in when Russia invaded is now single after the controversial couple split following a blazing row.

Tony Garnett, 29, walked out on Lorna – the mother of his two kids – after falling head over heels for 22-year-old Sofiia Karkadym.

The security guard stunned loved ones after ending his 10-year marriage just 10 days after welcoming Sofiia into their family home from war-torn Ukraine.

But now the dad claims his whirlwind romance with his now ex-girlfriend Sofiia has come to a dramatic end after a series of heated arguments.

"I am 100 per cent through with her. We are finished as a couple," the security guard told the MailOnline.

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Garnett claimed the final straw came after the pair argued on Saturday night while celebrating his 30th birthday at their home in Bradford, northern England.

However the night allegedly ended with Garnett calling the police who attended the address following a dispute.

Garnett claimed he had "worked so hard" and "made every extra effort" to make the new relationship work.

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"I knew that we would look like t***s if we broke up because we have a media profile and all the attention that has been put on us on television and on the internet," he said.

"I also genuinely felt sorry for her.

"She left her home and her country, which was at war and knew nobody here."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Софія Каркадим (@sonya_dobrvlsk)

Garnett added he has since reflected on his short-lived romance with Sofiia and said it was a "mistake".

But the dad says he has not abandoned his ex-girlfriend and even messaged her mum to get help.

He also wants to contact the local council to help get Sofiia rehoused.

"I hope that she finds somewhere safe to live and is in a happier place. But she's not for me," Garnett said.

Sofiia has sent a number of messages since they broke up, saying she loved him and wanted a reconciliation, Garnett claims.

But he does not want her back and has accused her of "ruining" his birthday.

The pair had previously stated they wanted to get married.

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Tony Garnett and Sofiia Karkadym have split up after he sensationally left his wife and two kids to be with her. Photo / Instagram/@sonya_dobrvlsk
Tony Garnett and Sofiia Karkadym have split up after he sensationally left his wife and two kids to be with her. Photo / Instagram/@sonya_dobrvlsk

Garnett's estranged wife Lorna appears to have had the last laugh, reportedly telling friends she wasn't shocked to hear about the break-up.

"I knew it would end in disaster for them — I just didn't think it would come after only four months," the 28-year-old told pals, according to the Sun.

Lorna, who had changed her surname by deed poll to match Tony's but is not legally married to him, previously claimed Sofiia would wear low-cut tops and makeup around their house to impress Tony.

"She set her sights on Anthony from the start," she said.

"Decided she wanted him and she took him.

"I just don't understand how he could throw all that away for a woman he's known for a fortnight. The life I knew is shattered."

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The mum described the experience as leaving her feeling like the "third wheel" and "unwelcome in her own home".

However she stressed she would "never put anyone off" from assisting refugees.

"This is a crisis in Ukraine and people like me will want to have the heart to help those in need," she said.

Sofiia, who fled the city of Lviv at the start of the Ukraine war, was instantly branded a "homewrecker" after the romance hit the headlines in May.

As a result she was forced to defend herself against the nasty comments being made online, maintaining nothing happened between them until they'd left the family home.

"I never thought or planned to go into their home and take Tony from Lorna. That never crossed my mind," she previously told the Sun.

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"As far as I'm concerned, they destroyed their relationship long before I arrived. Their relationship was at fault. None of this is my work.

"It was my decision to leave when I did and Tony decided to come with me."

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