You plonker, Trigger! Fools star leaves £1.4m but no will

HE WAS affectionately known to millions as the dim-witted Trigger in Only Fools And Horses.

And Roger Lloyd-Pack has left a legacy worthy of his character – as his family may miss out on some of the late actor’s £1.4million fortune because he failed to leave a will.

Lloyd-Pack died from pancreatic cancer in January last year at the age of 69, leaving behind a total of £1,464,636.

As he did not leave a will, his estate will be shared between his widow, Jehane Markham, and his four children – actress Emily Lloyd and sons Spencer, Hartley and Louis.

However, thanks to intestacy rules, thousands of pounds more may now be owed in tax than if he had left a valid will, according to legal experts. Lloyd-Pack, who studied acting at RADA, starred in Only Fools And Horses for ten years, alongside David Jason as Del Boy and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney.

He was also known for his role as oddball farmer Owen in another enormously successful BBC comedy, The Vicar of Dibley, which also starred Dawn French.

His first marriage to Sheila Ball in 1967 led to the birth of their daughter Emily, now 44, who rose to prominence with a role in the film Wish You Were Here at the age of 16.

Lloyd-Pack then had three sons with his second wife, Ms Markham.

Andrew Kidd, a specialist probate solicitor and partner in London law firm Clintons, said Lloyd-Pack’s children would be automatically entitled to a share of his net estate after funeral and legal expenses, meaning they could receive an amount liable for inheritance tax.

But he said the tax bill would depend on the value of Lloyd-Pack’s belongings. Mr Kidd added that Lloyd-Pack’s widow would be likely to receive about £250,000, as well as all his personal belongings.

By law, his children would then automatically get half the remaining value of the estate, creating a potentially large tax bill.

Mr Kidd said: ‘On the figure he has left, there will be quite a significant inheritance tax liability.’

But the probate specialist added that the intestacy rules only apply to assets in Lloyd-Pack’s own name.

Fans of Only Fools And Horses cherished Trigger’s moments of comedic stupidity. In one episode, when joining a dating agency, he pretends to be a bus conductor ‘to add a bit of glamour’.

In another scene, Del Boy remembers his school football team, saying: ‘We had Denzil in goal, we had Monkey Harris at left back, we had ... camaraderie,’ to which Trigger replies: ‘Was that the Italian boy?’

Trigger’s habit of calling Rodney ‘Dave’ prompts Lyndhurst’s character to tell him in one episode: ‘My name’s not Dave, it’s Rodney.’

A startled Trigger then asks: ‘Are you sure?’