A mother-of-three who fell to her death from a Manchester tower block was embroiled in a bitter High Court battle with her celebrity antiques dealer ex-fiancé over their £2.7million London home.
Rachel O’Hare, 49, was pronounced dead at the scene in Manchester city centre on Monday, June 30, after falling from the Victoria House apartments in Great Ancoats Street. Her death came just four days after a court hearing in Leeds on June 26 regarding the property dispute.
The widely-respected charity fundraiser had been suing her former partner Owen Pacey, 60, over their four-bedroom Georgian mansion in Wilkes Street, Spitalfields, which she claimed was rightfully hers.
The Property Dispute
Court documents reveal Ms O’Hare stated she had paid for the house using funds from her divorce settlement with millionaire investment manager Steve O’Hare, along with a loan. She alleged Mr Pacey “had no money to contribute when the property was purchased but would be able to pay the claimant for his share in due course.”
The couple met in 2020 when Ms O’Hare purchased a table from Mr Pacey’s Shoreditch showroom, Renaissance London, leading to what Pacey described in interviews as “love at first sight.” By June 2021, they had purchased the Spitalfields property together.
According to legal papers, the couple signed documents drawn up by solicitors overseeing the purchase, agreeing that the house would pass fully to the surviving partner if either of them died. This agreement meant Mr Pacey became the sole legal owner following Ms O’Hare’s death.
Financial Arrangements
Ms O’Hare claimed in court documents that Mr Pacey had promised to pay her back once he sold a £1.2million apartment above his shop in Shoreditch. To reassure her, he had allegedly agreed to put half of his £5million fireplace business in her name, but never did.
The mother-of-three said they had promised to share renovation costs, but she footed most of the bills when he failed to pay contractors. This included a £14,000 bill for radiator valves alone.
Ms O’Hare alleged she received documents to sign and messages telling her that her name was on the title deed of the flat or shop, which she believed meant Mr Pacey was sorting out the legal arrangements.
Relationship Breakdown
Legal papers described their relationship as “turbulent,” with Ms O’Hare later claiming Mr Pacey had been controlling. The couple were engaged in December 2022, but by May 2024, they had separated permanently.
Ms O’Hare also alleged that Mr Pacey had locked her out of the house, refused to pay bills, and threatened to “trash” the interior of their luxury London home, which was reportedly filled with Italian chandeliers, designer furniture, and expensive art.
Mr Pacey’s Defence
In defence statements submitted to the court, Mr Pacey denied persuading Ms O’Hare to buy the house in their joint names. He claimed Rachel agreed to do so because they were in love, stating: “The parties were going to get married and there was just no discussion about who owned what.”
He denied there was any discussion about him paying for half of the house or transferring 50 per cent of his business. Mr Pacey also rejected claims of being controlling, stating the couple only seriously argued twice – once in Kent during summer 2023 and once in New York in May 2024. He claimed Ms O’Hare was drunk on both occasions.
In his defence statement dated February this year, Mr Pacey claimed he paid £70,000 towards the house’s refurbishment and provided much of the furniture from his shop, including six Italian fireplaces worth £350,000.
Ms O’Hare’s Background
Rachel O’Hare was co-founder of Elle for Elle, a charity working to help vulnerable women in refuges with basic toiletries and beauty products. The organisation’s work had been praised in Westminster, with Cabinet Office official Steve Coppard commending the charity for providing “moments of dignity for those in desperate situations.”
She also held a role with The Cheshire Magazine, coordinating charity events in Cheshire and further afield. Following her divorce from Steve O’Hare, she had lived in Mere, in Cheshire’s affluent “golden triangle” area, where the former couple had raised their three children.
Mr Pacey’s Business
Owen Pacey is the founder of Renaissance London, an upmarket antique fireplace dealership established over 30 years ago in a converted Victorian pub in Shoreditch. The business has boasted a celebrity client list including Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, Kate Winslet, and George Michael.
The self-made dealer specialises in restored antique fireplaces and architectural salvage, with his showroom known in the design world as an “Aladdin’s Cave.” He has worked on high-profile projects including fitting all the fireplaces in Soho House and projects with Ralph Lauren’s Hamptons homes.
The Aftermath
Greater Manchester Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Ms O’Hare’s death, and an inquest is due to open this week. Due to the 2021 agreement stating the property would pass to the surviving partner, Mr Pacey now has full ownership of the Spitalfields home.
When approached about the legal disputes, Mr Pacey told the Daily Mail: “I worshipped the ground Rachel walked on.”
The case highlights the complex legal issues that can arise when unmarried couples purchase property together, particularly when formal agreements about ownership and financial contributions are disputed.
Tributes have poured in for Ms O’Hare, with her charity work helping vulnerable women particularly remembered. Elle for Elle continues to operate, having donated over 20,000 cosmetic products to women in refuges across Manchester and the north west.
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