A woman has been caught on camera attempting to fraudulently inherit her dying mother’s £700,000 estate by forcing her to sign a will just days before she passed away.
Lisa Baverstock, 55, was found to have manipulated her mother, Margaret, into signing a document that made her the sole beneficiary of the entire estate.
In a shocking revelation, it was revealed that Lisa printed a template will she found online and presented it to her mother’s deathbed in March 2021.
At the time, Margaret was so ill, suffering from advanced dementia, that she could barely move or communicate.
Despite her deteriorating condition, Lisa placed a pen in Margaret’s hand and physically guided her hand to sign the document, effectively transferring the entire estate—including Margaret’s house in Herne Hill, south London—to herself.
Margaret’s son, John, 61, was completely excluded from the will, prompting him to challenge the document in court.
John argued that his mother’s signature was not independent and that she had been physically manipulated by Lisa to participate in a “pantomime” of a legal process she didn’t understand.
John’s legal team presented damning footage showing Lisa repeatedly trying to place a pen in her mother’s hand before physically forcing her hand to sign the will.
According to the footage, Margaret, who could barely respond, was unable to hold the pen or comprehend the situation.
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At one point, the judge noted that Margaret’s responses were limited to grunting or saying “yeah,” which were not indications of consent to the signing.
Judge Jane Evans-Gordon declared the will invalid, ruling that Margaret was incapable of independently signing the document due to her advanced illness and dementia.
As a result, the estate was deemed to be intestate, meaning Margaret’s assets will be divided equally between Lisa and John.
In addition to losing her inheritance, Lisa has also been ordered to pay her brother John’s £80,000 legal fees, as the court deemed her actions as highly manipulative and fraudulent.
Speaking for John, barrister Mark Jones described the scene as one where Lisa “physically caused the deceased’s hand to move and make marks on the document.”
He added that there was no attempt to ensure Margaret understood what was happening or to verify her consent.
This case highlights the importance of ensuring that individuals are capable of fully comprehending legal documents and the need for safeguards against elder abuse and fraud.
The ruling has sent a strong message about the lengths to which some will go to manipulate vulnerable family members for financial gain.
