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Hong Kong (dpa) - A wealthy Hong Kong banker who fell in love with Latin dance and paid 8 million US dollars for lessons from a champion was regularly insulted by her teacher, a news report said Thursday.
Dance champion Mirko Saccani allegedly threatened to "smash" Mimi Monica Wong's head against a wall, called her a "lazy cow" and told her to "move her arse" when she did not perform well.
He was also overheard saying he would "throw her out of the window" and referred to her as a "f****** bitch", according to witnesses testifying in a High Court hearing Wednesday.
Wong, the 60-year-old head of HSBC private banking in Asia, told the court she was looking for "last bit of glory in life" when she signed up Saccani as her instructor.
But the relationship turned sour claims Wong after Saccani humiliated her in front of 50 dancers at an open practice in 2004.
She is now suing her former teacher for the return of the huge 8 million US dollar fee she paid in advance.
According to the report in the South China Morning Post, Wong had agreed to pay a total of over 15 million US dollars for eight years to Saccani for him to be her instructor and dance partner and for competition fees.
Lawyers for Saccani and his wife Gaynor Fairweather, dubbed the King and Queen of Latin dance in Hong Kong, claim Saccani's words were meant to be "motivational" rather than insulting, the Post reported.
The hearing was continuing in Hong Kong's High Court Thursday.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
