Sugar blasts "suspicious" former Apprentice

Multi-millionaire accuses former employee Stella English of moneygrabbing

Lord Alan Sugar has accused former Apprentice winner Stella English of trying to extract money from him as the tribunal case against him and Viglen continues.

English, 34, won series six of the show back in 2010 after jacking in her lucrative job at a Japanese investment bank, and is suing Sugar for constructive dismissal.

During the first day of her employment tribunal in east London yesterday, English, who was given a £100,000 role at system builder and VAR Viglen, but walked out the following May, claimed she was no more than an 'overpaid lackey'.

She said other Viglen employees were "unkind to her" because she had taken a job away from a lower-paid colleague.

According to Sky News, she told the hearing that she felt pressurised into taking another position at set top box maker You View and was advised in September 2011 that he would not be renewing her contract and that he did not "give a s***".

Reading his own statement, Lord Sugar said: "She is a suspicious, untrusting person and one who believes she has always been done down and places blame with others.

"I believe this claim, together with its publication in the media, is simply an attempt to extract money from me."

He added: "I have no intention to pay her any money unless told to do so by the law."

While being cross-examined by English's legal team, Sky News said Sugar said she was a "serial liar" and said that with hindsight, he would not have hired her or offered her a second position when she left.

"The reality is, I didn't need to do anything. In hindsight, and hindsight is wonderful word, I should have said, 'bonne chance, on your way', and put out the press release.

"But worrying about her welfare - that's what annoys me about this - worrying about her moaning that she's got no money and she's in debt ... that's why I took her to You View, and it's come back and slapped me in the face."