A lawyer for a former senior Ukip official threatened to make ‘explosive’ revelations in court, accusing party leader Nigel Farage of being a wife-beater, it was claimed last night.

Ex-deputy chairman Suzanne Evans, 51, was involved in a bitter High Court battle to try to seek an injunction against her suspension from the party.

The threat to expose ‘bits about Nigel beating his wife and stuff’ in Miss Evans’s witness statement for the court was reportedly made by barrister Richard Hendron.

Bitter row: Ex-deputy chairman Suzanne Evans (pictured with Nigel Farage) was involved in a High Court battle to try to seek an injunction against her suspension from the party

He was speaking in a telephone conversation with Ukip’s party secretary Matthew Richardson last week. The discussion took place in a bid to persuade the party to delay Miss Evans’s disciplinary hearing – which led to her suspension – so she could remain on her party’s list to stand in the London Assembly elections.

Mr Hendron is reported to have said: ‘Suzanne is doing her witness statement, which is to become a public document and it is explosive. It has bits about Nigel beating his wife and stuff. (If) you are willing for that to happen and that to come out this week, as a court document, which journalists will report on, with no fear of being sued for libel, if you’re willing to let that happen then fine go ahead.’

The outcome of the conversation on Friday was only a two-day delay to the hearing, and Miss Evans went ahead with her court case against its anticipated outcome.

Mr Hendron said last night: ‘I can’t quite understand why Ukip has briefed this out. Conversations with lawyers are usually confidential.

‘I would have mentioned Suzanne’s witness statement.’

The lawyer added: ‘I did send a further email clarifying that I did not know what Suzanne knows about that (the wife beating allegations).’

Last night, Mr Farage said: ‘I’ve been in politics for a long time and have seen a lot of things but this is the lowest of all low points.’ Speaking about the allegations of domestic violence against his wife Kirsten, he said: ‘It’s entirely ludicrous. You might as well call me a paedophile, murderer or larcenist.’

The lawyer for Miss Evans threatened to expose ‘bits about Nigel beating his wife and stuff’ in her witness statement. But Mr Farage said the allegations of domestic violence against his wife Kirsten (right) are 'entirely ludicrous'

Interviewed by Channel 4 News last night, Miss Evans strongly denied that she was threatening to make allegations against Mr Farage. ‘Why would I? I know on the times that I met Nigel and Kirsten Farage they have struck me as being a very strong couple,’ she said. She claimed details of the barrister’s conversation had been put into the public domain as part of ‘a vendetta against me’.

A Ukip insider said last night: ‘Suzanne acts in the interest of herself and the yes men she has surrounded herself with. She is better off out [of the party].’

Miss Evans was suspended from Ukip for six months over claims that she spoke out against a candidate and held herself out as a party spokesman without authority.

At the High Court hearing, Mr Justice Mitting refused to grant an injunction preventing the suspension taking effect until after the assembly nominations close. The judge said he had to base his ruling on whether the party’s rules had been complied with, adding: ‘I believe that they have been.’

Miss Evans was ordered to pay Ukip £5,000 in costs.