'In terms of the public, they don't have a clue,' he said
A British dad who left his wife and kids behind for a Ukrainian refugee who was staying with them has said he and his new lover are doing "brilliantly" - but he isn't allowed to see his kids anymore.
Tony Garnett, 29 and from Bradford, hit the headlines earlier this year when he left his partner Lorna, 28, who he had been with for eight years, for Sofiia Karkadym, 22.
Karkadym had fled her home in Lviv to escape the dangers brought to Ukraine by Putin's invasion and had moved in with Garnett's family under the Government's refugee scheme.
The Bradford dad, who owns his own security company, became Karkadym's sponsor. However 10 days after she moved in, Garnett left his wife and kids behind to start a brand new life with the refugee.
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Garnett and Karkadym are now renting a house in Bradford and looking for furniture to make it a proper home. Speaking to
Yorkshire Live, he said he and his new partner are "doing brilliantly."
However he also touched upon the downside that he can no longer see his two children after his relationship with his former wife broke down.
Despite what has happened, Garnett said his family and friends have been supportive because "they know the true story".
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He said: "In terms of the public, they don't have a clue. I am quite thick-skinned - there's two sides. I am getting men messaging me saying 'I wish I could do the same to my wife' and women asking me to run away with them. Sofiia is getting abuse. People [are] calling her a home wrecker, and people talking about petitions to deport her.
"I want to tell the truth. She is not a home wrecker. I chose to move her here to save her (from the war)." he added.
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It is true that Karkadym has faced significant backlash since the story came out back in May. However hitting back at the claims that she is a "homewrecker", the Ukrainian refugee has previously claimed
it was Tony's wife that drove the pair into each other's arms through her "constant suspicions".
"The tension, it just pushed me and Tony closer together," Karkadym told
The Sun, "She created this situation by constantly suggesting something was going on when it wasn’t, so this is her fault."
Garnett also claimed his relationship with his wife had "numerous problems before Sofiia arrived" and had been "on and off."
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