Dad who left partner for Ukrainian refugee returning to her war-torn country to 'save hundreds of lives'
25 August 2022, 19:55
A British father who left his partner for a Ukrainian refugee has said he is returning to the war-torn country with his new girlfriend and plans to "save hundreds of lives".
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Tony Garnett, 29, left his partner and the mother of his two children, Lorna Garnett, 10 days after 22-year-old Sofiia Karkadym moved in with them following Russia's invasion of her home country.
The pair moved in together, and Ms Garnett, 28, said the debacle left her "humiliated".
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Now Mr Garnett has told Yorkshire Live he and Ms Karkadym are going to return to Ukraine to help orphaned children.
"I have seen the full scale of things since meeting Sofiia and I think people need this help," he told the paper.
"I need to use my influence now to do the right thing.
"The longer [the war] goes on for then there's going to be more deaths - and some could be stopped with this help.
"I could save hundreds of lives."
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The father-of-two said he wanted to raise money for the wounded, as well as people in Ukraine who are caring for orphaned children.
As part of his fundraising he has said he will do a sponsored skydive.
Mr Garnett previously told LBC that he did not invite Ms Karkadym into his home to "start a relationship", but said he just wanted to "make her feel welcome".
Speaking to LBC's Ben Kentish in July, Mr Garnett insisted he didn't invite her because he "fancied her" but simply because he "wanted to help someone".
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"In reality, I was doing the right thing that I believed I were (sic) doing to help someone that was fleeing a warzone," he said.
"I was making her feel comfortable, silly things like putting Ukrainian subtitles on the TV, but obviously the ex has twisted it and said I only done this because I fancied her, I was spending late nights with her."
Anthony Garnett, who left his partner for a Ukrainian refugee, speaks to LBC
He claimed it was "not like this at all" and hit out at those giving abuse to his new partner and calling him a villain, saying these people "have a very, very sad life".
"I'm happy and I know I've made the right decision," he told Ben.
"No matter what anyone says to me it's not going to change my life, it's not going to change my opinion, I'm a grown man and I do what I think is right."
