Why I’m leaving half my fortune to toyboy lover
Dying mum’s letter to her daughters in fight over will
a POIGNANT letter written by a dying woman to her two daughters explaining why she had left half her estate to her toyboy lover was revealed yesterday. Elizabeth Walker reminded the pair they had previously received ‘substantial sums’ and that she had given up an inheritance from her own mother, urging her to leave her estate to them instead.
She also begged her daughters to ‘understand and respect my decisions’ and hailed her younger lover as a ‘faithful partner’ who ‘will need this support’.
It analyst Michael Badmin, 35, is fighting alison ‘ally’ Walker, 31, and Jennifer Rowan, 32, for a share of their mother’s £1.2 million farm set in 90 acres in girlinge green, near Canterbury, Kent.
Mrs Walker died aged 53 in February 2010 from a brain tumour, barely a month after creating her will, which left half of her estate to Mr Badmin, with the other half split between her daughters.
The daughters claim their mother was in a ‘delusional and irrational’ state when she signed the will and have asked a judge to tear it up.
Mr Badmin, from Sittingbourne, Kent, insists he should receive the money. He was in his early 20s when he met Mrs Walker and their relationship ‘ began in earnest’ over Christmas 2005, the High Court in
Sisters in court fight after cancer mother leaves cash to toyboy
From Wednesday’s Mail
London was told. The couple kept their relationship quiet until Mrs Walker separated from her husband John, a property developer now aged 67. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2009, apparently cutting her daughters out of their expected inheritance just months later.
in her letter to her family, explaining her decision to give a huge chunk of her fortune to her lover, Mrs Walker said she hoped the ‘division’ of her estate was ‘adequate’, as ‘i want you all to be content’.
‘i wanted to provide a benefit that would not only support Michael, but one which would then go to help my family, so i hope you all understand and feel that this is reasonable,’ she wrote.
‘i feel i have done my best to provide for ally and Jenny throughout my life, and that you have both received substantial sums in terms of inheritance over the years, which has given you both a good start to your adult lives. i forwent my inheritance from my mother, requesting her to leave it to both [of] you instead of taking it myself – so i hope you appreciate that i have tried to do my best for you as i care for you very much.
‘ Your father has not helped throughout the divorce process and sadly decided not to agree to what i feel i should have been entitled to by law, using my low life expectancy against me over the course of the mediation process.
‘it was hard for him to come to an agreement, which i feel he should have made more effort to come to under the circumstances, especially given my prognosis.
‘as you know i have decided to split my remaining estate between you all, giving 25 per cent to Jenny, 25 per cent to ally, with Michael receiving 50 per cent as he has been my faithful partner for several years and i feel he will need this support.’
Mrs Walker also said she had cut her husband John out of her will, because of his ‘obstructiveness’ in finalising their divorce.
She went on: ‘For Jenny and ally, i feel your father should be able to help you as the divorce settlement looks ultimately to be in his favour and that i have given you the best i could in terms of bringing you up
‘I want you all to be content’
and being a mother. i have always tried to give you both the best of everything i have been able to, and i will always love you and your children dearly.’
Miss Walker and Mrs Rowan claim their mother ‘ failed utterly to engage in the process’ of making a will and relied on Mr Badmin to help draft it.
Deputy High Court Judge nicholas Strauss QC released the letter written by Mrs Walker, despite her daughters’ objections.
The dispute centres on Mrs Walker’s mental capacity at the time the will was created.
The case continues.