A DISGRACED SNP councillor who lied in court in an attempt to divorce his wife on the cheap is facing an estimated £50,000 bill for her legal costs.

Dr Imtiaz Majid has been ordered to pay his wife’s full costs, on top of £150,000 he was recently ordered to pay her to address the “economic imbalance” in their marriage.

At a hearing at Airdrie Sheriff Court, Sheriff Morag Galbraith, who heard 11 days of testimony on the couple’s divorce action earlier this year, awarded all costs to Uzma Majid.

Dr Majid now is now liable for the bill for her legal team, which included advocate Charlotte Coutts and solicitor Mohammed Sabir of Edinburgh’s MBS Solicitors.

The North Lanarkshire councillor also faces costs for his own lawyer.

The Herald revealed on Monday how Sheriff Galbraith heavily criticised Dr Majid's evidence in the divorce action he brought against the 42-year-old mother-of-two.

Sheriff Galbraith concluded Dr Majid had lied to deny his wife a fair settlement, and had hidden his wealth and pretended to lose a fortune through gambling in order to plead poverty.

Some of his evidence was “a complete fabrication” and “totally incredible”, she said.

She also criticised Dr Majid’s brothers, Sarfraz and Asif, after they tried to back up his evidence, calling all three men and “evasive” and not “credible at all”.

The sheriff’s judgment also revealed Uzma fled to a woman’s refuge in London in 2006 after less than four years of marriage.

Dr Majid, 51, almost became the MP for Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill last year after being endorsed by the then SNP cabinet secretaries Alex Neil and Keith Brown.

But he failed vetting, and the seat was won by the SNP’s Phil Boswell instead.

After the judgment was reported, SNP sources indicated Dr Majid would be blocked from standing as a party candidate in next May’s elections.

Although Dr Majid intends to appeal Sheriff Galbraith’s original judgment and £150,000 award, this does not affect the award of costs against him.

Mr Sabir, Principal Solicitor at MBS, said: “The Sheriff’s judgment comes as a welcome relief for my client. My client is happy that her voice has been heard and that Justice has been done.

“Mrs Majid has been required to live in dire circumstances during ten long years. The award will bring some form of stability for her and the parties’ children.”