Beautician Sues Secret Wife in £1.8m Inheritance Battle
A bitter High Court battle has erupted over the £1.8million estate of a millionaire accountant who secretly married two women in Las Vegas without divorcing either. James Dinsdale, 55, died from a heart attack while suffering from prostate cancer in October 2020, leaving behind a complex legal mess after failing to leave a will.
Margaret Dinsdale, 41, a beautician who cared for her husband '24 hours a day' during his final illness, was devastated to discover he was still legally married to cosmetic dentist Dr Victoria Fowell, 53. This shocking revelation meant their 2017 marriage was legally void, leaving Margaret with no automatic right to inherit from her late partner's substantial fortune.
The Bigamous Marriages and Legal Consequences
The court heard that Mr Dinsdale, an accountant and World War Two history expert, had built a thriving property development business in central London. He first married Dr Fowell in 2012 at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, then married Margaret Dinsdale five years later at the Chapel of the Flowers on the same Las Vegas Boulevard - without ever divorcing his first wife.
Margaret only discovered the truth about her husband's bigamy when she began sorting out his affairs after his death, assuming she would inherit as his next of kin. Under intestacy laws, because James died without a will, his entire estate would legally pass to Dr Fowell and his 28-year-old son, William Dinsdale.
Margaret's barrister, Gideon Roseman, told the court his client had married James 'in good faith' believing his previous marriage had ended. She had given up work to become a housewife and was James's primary carer during his cancer battle, while he provided for her financially.
Allegations of Estate 'Plundering' and Court Intervention
Margaret has now brought a substantial claim under the Inheritance Act 1975, and returned to London's High Court last week seeking to 'freeze' Dr Fowell's assets. Her legal team claimed the dentist had 'plundered' the £1.8million estate to prevent Margaret from receiving any inheritance.
Mr Roseman alleged that Dr Fowell had treated the estate 'as if she is solely entitled' to it, paying herself around £400,000 and selling two properties - a pub and cottage - for a combined £600,000 when their true value was potentially up to £1.5million. He suggested the quick sales at reduced prices were intended 'to get her hands on the cash as quickly as possible with a view to frustrating the claimant's claim.'
Only approximately £17,000 remained in Dr Fowell's solicitors' account, with the whereabouts of most estate assets described as 'a mystery'. Dr Fowell's lawyers denied any attempt to hide assets, explaining some funds had been used to adapt her home for her elderly parents.
Mr Justice Mann refused a full freezing order, concerned about the impact on Dr Fowell's dental practice, but imposed a more limited injunction freezing estate assets and her main personal assets, including her home and dental practice. He noted there was 'a good arguable case' that Dr Fowell had wrongly dissipated the estate in her own favour.
Margaret's solicitor, Mohaned Salah, commented after the hearing that his client welcomed the order, hoping it would bring her closer to concluding proceedings and allow her to properly mourn Mr Dinsdale, 'whom she genuinely believed to be her husband.' He added that Margaret's health had deteriorated rapidly throughout the stressful legal process.
