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Search forFormer husband and wife in £1.3m will battle
Friday, November 07, 2008, 09:49
Margaret Sheppard, of Benedict Close, Teignmouth, was the main beneficiary of the £1,369,303 estate.
But Mrs Sheppard's ex-husband Ian, of Brockenhurst Avenue, Worcester Park, has contested the will of his late father Graham.
Mr Sheppard inherited just £80,000 of the estate which includes his father's £600,000 house — Hunters Way in Berkshire.
But he claims his father was more than 200 miles away when the will was witnessed in October 2004.
Money also went to one of Europe's biggest Eco projects The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), in Machynlleth, Powys who are also opposing the legal challenge.
However if the will is declared invalid by a judge, and Mr Sheppard died 'intestate', his son stands to ultimately inherit more than £600,000.
Under the will, Mrs Sheppard inherited the majority of the estate and a life interest in Hunters Way, with CAT receiving a donation of £100,000 and getting Hunters Way when she eventually dies.
If Mr Sheppard is declared to have died intestate, CAT will get nothing.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Warren heard that Mrs Sheppard alleges the will was signed and witnessed at the home of her parents, Thomas and Ruth Barling, in Teignmouth, on October 12, 2004.
But, although Ian Sheppard does not dispute his father's signature is genuine, he says Mr and Mrs Barling added their signatures at a time when his father was in south west London on October 12.
Ian Sheppard told the court that he remembers seeing his father at his uncle's house in Walton on Thames 'at the very moment' the will was allegedly being executed.
Giving evidence, Mr Sheppard insisted that the case against him had been bolstered by 'fake evidence' and was a 'fake story'.
Barrister Giles Harrap, for Mrs Sheppard, put it to Ian Sheppard in cross-examination he was the one who was not telling the truth.
Mr Harrap said , 'at best', Mr Sheppard's case was a 'product' of his 'obsessive imagination' and he had 'put forward a story' which he had 'made up'.
But Mr Sheppard replied: "It's actually, honestly, a fact, a fact of history."
The court heard that Mr and Mrs Sheppard lived together for 20 years before eventually marrying in April 2004, the year before Mr Sheppard died, in August 2005.
A second will, dated August 2, has already been declared invalid by agreement, with Mr Harrap telling Mr Justice Warren that it was 'common ground' that Mr and Mrs Barling had signed that particular document when Mr Sheppard was in hospital.
The High Court case continues.
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