Superwoman's gun terror

Nicola Horlick was beaten at gunpoint by two muggers in front of her children.

But she refused to hand over any valuables and threw her diamond ring into bushes nearby so they could not get it. Ms Horlick, 43, nicknamed Superwoman because of her ability to run a City business while raising a family, had a gun pushed into her stomach.

She was then struck across the head with the pistol after she defied the men. The mother of five was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow. Her assailants only stopped and fled after Ms Horlick pretended her husband was parking a car nearby.

She was today said to be "extremely shaken" but refused to go to hospital.

A close friend said: "It was terrifying she could have died, but Nicola lived up to her Superwoman reputation and refused to give in."

Ms Horlick's ordeal started when she returned to her £5million home in South Kensington at about 8.30pm yesterday.

As she got out of her car, two men wearing crash helmets ran up and demanded her purse and jewellery. The friend said: "Nicola is not one to give up easily and she told them that she wouldn't hand over anything.

"They then said, 'Give us your jewellery, lady' and pushed a gun into her stomach while warning that she would be beaten if she did not agree. But she still refused and so they hit her on the side of her head with the gun."

Despite being in great pain Ms Horlick took her diamond ring off her finger and threw it into bushes just outside her house.

The friend said: "Nicola was determined that they wouldn't get her ring. It's not a wedding ring but it has great sentimental value and is worth a lot of money."

The attackers are described as having eastern European accents.

The friend said: "They jumped onto a moped and drove off. Nicola then ran into her house and dialled 999."

An ambulance arrived and Ms Horlick was treated for cuts and bruises and a bad gash behind her ear. She was today recovering at home.

The friend said: "It was a terrible attack, but Nicola is determined not to let this get her down. She hopes to make a quick recovery. We also found the ring in the bushes."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said officers from Chelsea police station had been called to the incident just after 9.15pm last night.

He said: "We can confirm that a 43-year old woman was mugged outside her home in South Kensington. The victim was approached by two men on a scooter.

"One remained on the scooter and the other approached with a handgun. She declined to hand over any property and was pistol-whipped. An ambulance was called but she did not go to hospital."

Ms Horlick first became prominent in 1997 when she fought a high-profile campaign to win her job back with German fund-manager Deutsche Morgan Grenfell after the bank accused her of attempting to defect to rival ABN Amro, taking staff and clients with her.

A year later her daughter Georgie died from leukaemia. Last year she was on the verge of moving to Australia to start a new life when her marriage to husband Tim collapsed days before they were planning a lavish joint leaving party.

She went ahead with the party, but stayed in Britain and separated from her husband. It later emerged he was having an affair with a receptionist in the City 20 years his junior.

In the aftermath of her failed move to Australia she launched a Dublin-based fund management business named Bramdean, having previously built up a £2.6 billion fund for French bank Société Générale.

She has also found new love with Mark Shipman, a 43-year-old father of three and a commercial property agent whom she met through a joint business venture.