A builder left with virtually nothing from his wealthy mother's £5m-plus fortune is suing his sister over claims she plundered it to pay for meals at the Ivy and her daughter's wedding at the Savoy. Gary MacDougall, 70, had expected to split the estate of his multi-millionaire mother Jeanne MacDougall with his sister Sandra Thomas, 65, and her husband Lloyd. However, after a change of will in 2011 and a series of property sales and gifts, Gary was left with 'nil' to inherit when his mother died in April 2020.
Gary is now seeking to overturn the last will and accuses his sister and brother-in-law of plundering the fortune while their mother was still alive. The estate was valued at £2.5m after her death, but Gary claims large sums were illegitimately spent on holidays, meals at the Ivy, and the couple's daughter's five-star wedding at the Savoy Hotel. Two properties he says should have gone to his family were also removed from the estate before her death, with one sold for £900,000 and another house in west London, valued at £1.7m, handed to Sandra and Lloyd.
At the High Court, Gary is challenging the final will and the validity of lifetime transactions to claim over £2m in cash and assets. Sandra and Lloyd are fighting the case, arguing that although some money was spent on their family, it was destined for Sandra under the final two wills. They say the 2011 will was explainable because their mother was closer to her daughter and intended Gary to receive little, having already benefited from their father's estate.
The case is set for a 12-day trial dealing with the will's validity, property transactions, and what happened to the pensioner's money before her death. Gary's barrister, Harry Martin, described how the family fortune derived from the siblings' property developer father's substantial real estate portfolio in west London. Gary claims he contributed to the family's wealth by maintaining properties free of charge and that their parents had promised broadly equal inheritance.
Under the 2008 will, Gary and his family would receive properties in Avenue Crescent and Berrymead Gardens, while Sandra and Lloyd got most of the cash and houses in Stuart Road and Avenue Gardens. The 2011 will gave all four properties to Sandra and Lloyd, with Gary receiving a small share likely worth nil after expenses. Gary claims the 2011 will is invalid due to undue influence and is also challenging a 2015 gift of the Avenue Crescent house, worth £1.7m, and the lease of Avenue Gardens at an undervalue to his niece. He accuses his sister and brother-in-law of financial abuse under a power of attorney, with over £2m leaving their mother's bank accounts between 2012 and 2020.
