Woman jailed for Wills fraud to receive nothing

Posted 08/12/2010

A woman who was jailed for trying to fraudulently claim her father’s entire estate has been told she must give up the assets she was entitled to.

Susan Hursthouse was sent to prison for 12 weeks last year after it was discovered that she and her mother had tried to create a fake Will that would allow her to inherit everything her father John Swinscoe owned.

The real Will left half of the money in the elderly man’s bank accounts and a share in his £42,000 flat to Ms Hursthouse, with the remainder going to his nephew Paul Spencer, This is Nottingham reports.

However, she claimed to have found another document that stated she should receive it all.

Relatives became suspicious and it emerged that the new Will had been written two years after Mr Swinscoe’s death.

Now, a judge has decreed that Ms Hursthouse must pay a confiscation order of £50,000 using the money from the original, real Will.

She claims she has been unfairly treated and intends to appeal, insisting the incident was a mix-up over dates.

Anyone who is experiencing problems with a relative’s Will may benefit from seeking advice from specialist solicitors such as the team at Ashtons Legal, who will be able to provide the appropriate assistance.