THE partner of a late Worcester businessman has won the right to be buried in the same grave following the settling of a bitter court battle with his family.

Peter Hanson died over four years ago at the age of 78 and, since then, has been at the centre of a dispute between his family and his Renate Spickenreuther, who was his partner in his business and, after his divorce, professional life.

Now a judge of the Church of England’s Consistory Court has ruled on the form the gravestone should take and its wording.

He has ruled that the extra space in the grave at St Augustine’s Church Yard, Droitwich, must be reserved for Mrs Spickenreuther.

He has also ordered that an earlier gravestone erected by Mr Hanson’s family without church authorisation must be removed.

Charles Mynors, Chancellor of the Diocese of Worcester and a judge of the Consistory Court was called in to settle the dispute between the late Mr Hanson’s family and his life partner and business associate, Mrs Spickenreuther.

Mr Hanson, who had been successful in his business, had two children with wife Dorothy, Mark and Kay who had both been 'generously' provided for.

In his complex ruling which runs to approaching 9,000 words Chancellor Mynors says : “In due course Mr Mark Hanson joined his father’s firm. Mr and Mrs Hanson appeared to have a good marriage; they lived well, entertained well, and had a large circle of friends.”

However, the judge continued : “As to what happened next, Mr Peter Hanson’s brother Bernard explains it as follows: “‘The split in their marriage came as a shock to all who knew them but most of all to their family. The new love in Peter’s life was Renate [Spickenreuther], who had worked with him in the business for some years.

“This made for an uncomfortable situation as Mark, working in the same office, had watched the relationship evolve, and naturally found it hard to work alongside Renate."

Chancellor Mynors said the couple were devoted to each other in every way, each caring for and respecting the needs of the other.

In April 2012, Peter Hanson died, and his body was buried in a double grave in the churchyard at St Augustine’s Church in Droitwich, with the intention that the body of Mrs Spickenreuther should also be buried there in due course.’

But the court was told that Mark Hanson had a gravestone erected without consulting Mrs Spickenreuther and without consent from the church.

It bore the inscription : “In loving memory of Peter Hanson – 31.5.1933 to 30.4.2012 – Age 78 years – Loving Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and Partner – Three Cheers for Pooh.”

The reference to Pooh related to him having read the Pooh Bear books to his children and grandchildren.

However, the judge said that Mrs Spickenreuther was “not happy with the wording of the memorial” and asked the Consistory Court to order it’s removal and for permission to replace it with a new gravestone showing interlinked hearts beneath a dove.

She later revised this to a memorial in the form of an open book with a dove above it and the wording “Peter Hanson 31.5.33 to 20.4.12.”

And as Mr Hanson had been a keen golfer there was also to be an image of a golfer.

Mark Hanson and other members of the family objected to this.

However, the judge said that finally and “happily” a compromise has been achieved between the two sides.

The original gravestone is to be removed and a new-one erected once the Hanson family and Mrs Spickenreuther have agreed on the form it should take and the wording that should be on it.