She divorced from Mr Potter, and then contracted to convey him her interest in Slate Hall in return for release from mortgage liability.

Ms Cresswell successfully argued that she should get half because he had exploited her weaknesses so much as to vitiate her consent to the contract, and she was vulnerable to this because she was the modern equivalent to a "poor and ignorant" person (Fry v Lane).

Megarry J said the first of the (non exhaustive) requirements from Fry v Lane is to be ‘poor and ignorant’, the second is whether the sale was at a considerable undervalue and the third is whether there was any independent advice.

[1]On the point of independent advice, he noted that on one side stood Mr Potter, his solicitor and the inquiry agent, and on the other Ms Cresswell alone.

Lord Justice Nourse noted in the case of Credit Lyonnais Bank Nederland NV v Helen Burch that Megarry J's decision in this case "demonstrates that the jurisdiction [on iniquitous pressure] is in good heart and capable of adaptation to different transactions entered into in changing circumstances".