The US government has won a partial victory in its long-running legal battle to secure the extradition of British hotelier Stanley Tollman to stand trial on £45 million bank fraud charges.

Two High Court judges in London this morning agreed with arguments that the proposed extradition of the 77-year-old was not rendered “oppressive” by the length of time - 16 years - since he is alleged to have committed the offences.

But the judges ruled that it would be oppressive to extradite Mr Tollman’s wife Beatrice, 75, who is being sought on connected charges, because of her ill-health.

The judges also ruled that Mrs Tollman’s failing health - she is suffering a depressive illness - provided the only ground on which her husband might avoid being sent to America.

The US Government’s extradition application was sent back to the London district judge in charge of the case for him to decide whether endangering Mrs Tollman’s health by extraditing her husband would amount to “oppression” against him sufficient to justify refusal of extradition.

Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Ouseley in the High Court were told that the US authorities would seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords against those parts of today’s judgment which went against them.

The Tollmans remain on bail.

Ian Norris, another British businessman wanted in the US, is awaiting the outcome of his House of Lords appeal against extradition.

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