Dad who left his partner and ran off with Ukrainian refugee lodger reveals how people want her DEPORTED
A DAD who left his partner to run off with a Ukrainian refugee lodger has revealed the heavy price he's paid.
Tony Garnett, 29, shocked Brits when he walked out on his partner Lorna and their kids for refugee Sofiia Karkadym, 22, after just ten days.
The Sun exclusively revealed how Sofiia Karkadym, who fled the city of Lviv at the start of the war, was given shelter in the UK by Tony.
But just over a week later, his then missus Lorna, 28, accused the blonde IT worker of setting her sights on her man.
Sofiia packed her bags, but Lorna was left heartbroken after security guard Tony followed her out of the door.
And after the drama, the dad-of-two has now revealed that he is no longer allowed to see his kids, reports .
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However, Tony said that despite a torrent of online abuse every day, he and his new beau are doing brilliantly together.
The couple are renting a house in Bradford and spoke of how happy they are that things worked out.
Tony claims that at no point did he ever say it was "love at first sight" with Sofiia.
He also alleges that media organisations have since offered him "silly amounts of money" to speak out but he turned these down.
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And he claimed that while Sofiia was in Bradford she had faced "threats and lies" which he had "saved" her from.
Tony said: "No one is interested in the truth. Me and Sofiia are doing brilliantly.
"We have got our own house; no drama (and) getting to know each other.
"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 calling her a home wrecker, and people talking about petitions to deport her."
Family and friends had been supportive because he said "they know the true story".
Tony says that because he was sponsoring Sofiia during her stay in the UK, he felt he had to offer her protection and that they had fallen for one another after he had moved out of the family home.
And he claimed that his relationship with Lorna had "numerous problems before Sofiia arrived" and had been "on and off."
I am not a monster at all. I sleep very well at night.
Tony Garnett
Speaking on the abuse he and Sofiia receive on social media, Tony claimed he wasn't a monster, saying: "I don't reply to no messages, I block them.
"I am not a monster at all. I sleep very well at night... I saved her from and from... abuse. I have done the right thing. Before I put up with things for the sake of my kids. Why did I put up with it?"
But he also revealed that not all messages have been abusive.
He added: "People have offered support and say they trust our judgment and they understand a man is not going to leave a relationship if something is not going on before."
The Sun previously broke the news about Tony and Sofiia, who he met after deciding to sign up to the Government scheme to house refugees in the wake of Russia’s invasion.
He found the application process too slow so took to social media to offer help.
Tony, who owns his own security company, was introduced to Sofiia on Facebook and offered to become her UK sponsor.
IT manager Sofiia made her way from Kyiv to Manchester airport and moved in with Tony and Lorna in Bradford, West Yorks.
But within days tensions rose as Tony and their new guest grew close — and Lorna began regretting ever opening up their rented home.
Lorna told The Sun became increasingly suspicious that Sofiia wanted more than just a roof over her head.
And her concern grew when Sofiia would put on make-up, and wear a low-cut top only around the time Tony returned home from work.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday Lorna said: “She set her sights on Anthony from the start, decided she wanted him and she took him.
“I just don’t understand how he could throw all that away for a woman he’s known for a fortnight. The life I knew is shattered.
“I would never put anyone off taking in refugees. This is a crisis in Ukraine and people like me will want to have the heart to help those in need.
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“But I don’t want this to happen to anyone else because it’s been devastating."
Lorna and Tony were not married but had been together since 2014, they made a home and had two children during that time.