Lonely OAP cuts family out of his will... and leaves £500,000 to builder who cleaned his gutter for free
- Ronald Butcher, 75, of Enfield, London, left life savings to Daniel Sharp
- He cut out cousin and two family friends who were expecting to inherit
- But family claim 'private and quiet man' did not know what he was doing
- 'Odd' nature of bequest to Mr Sharp ought to 'excite suspicion', court told
When he cleared the gutters at a pensioner’s bungalow, builder Daniel Sharp waived the fee and said it was a ‘nothing job’.
But it resulted in an unexpected windfall six years later when Ronald Butcher, 75, left him his entire £500,000 estate, disinheriting his relatives.
His family are disputing his will in the High Court, claiming it does not reflect Mr Butcher’s ‘true last wish’.
Bequest: Ronald Butcher (pictured), 75, left his £500,000 fortune to a builder when he died two years ago
Lucky: Daniel Sharp (pictured) was given £500,000 by Mr Butcher after doing building work for him for free
But Mr Sharp says the document, drawn up two months before Mr Butcher’s death, is valid and that he must have ‘fallen out’ with his family.
Mr Butcher’s body was found in his home in Enfield, north London, two months after he died in March last year.
The court heard how Mr Butcher was a ‘private and quiet man’ who had formed a friendship with Mr Sharp over six years.
The 45-year-old, from Welling, Kent, said he was ‘shocked’ to have been left the ‘life-changing’ sum but said he was ‘friends’ with Mr Butcher and visited him whenever he was in the area.
Mr Butcher’s ‘family’ include his elderly cousin Joyce Gilkerson and the children of a close schoolfriend – Evelyn Hutchins, 53, and Peter Rogers, 57 – who regarded him as their ‘Uncle Ron’.
The three were equal beneficiaries in Mr Butcher’s previous will, dated December 2011, and are asking Judge Leslie Anderson QC to revoke the final will in favour of the previous one.
Cut out: Evelyn Hutchins (left) and Peter Rogers (right) expected to inherit the bulk of Mr Butcher's fortune
Home: Mr Butcher became friends with Mr Sharp after the builder cleared the gutters of his home (above) in Enfield, north London, six years before his death
Araba Taylor, for Mrs Hutchins, who is leading the legal challenge, said it was accepted that Mr Butcher had the mental capacity to make the new will and that it was not a forgery.
But she told the judge that the ‘odd’ nature of the bequest to Mr Sharp ought to ‘excite suspicion’ that Mr Butcher did not fully comprehend or approve its contents.
Jennifer Seaman, for Mr Sharp, said: ‘Mr Butcher was a lonely man who found a friend in Mr Sharp. Mr Butcher knew what he was doing when he made the will and what its effect would be.
‘He found a male friend in Mr Sharp, somebody he could chat to. They had a shared interest in DIY and he liked to hear about Mr Sharp’s son.’
Giving evidence, Mr Sharp said: ‘When I first cleaned out his gutter he offered me a tenner or 20 quid for it, but I said no, I wouldn’t take it. It was a nothing job that took seconds.’
Close: 'Private and quiet man' Mr Butcher (left) pictured with Mr Rogers and Mrs Hutchins's family
Asked about his feelings on learning he was to inherit, he said: ‘I was shocked to be given something like that. It’s life-changing. I didn’t think he had people to give it to, or obviously they had had an argument.
‘Something happened and he gave it to me. I can’t say the reason why he gave it to me.
‘But if I’m the only one who went round to talk to him... I didn’t know what’s gone on with the others. Obviously there’s been a big falling out.’
Miss Taylor challenged the builder’s account, saying: ‘In six years he gave you nothing, not even a birthday card, then suddenly he has given you everything he’s got when he’s gone. That is unreal. It needs to be explained because it is so odd.’
He responded: ‘What sort of person do you think I am? I do a lot of things for charity and help people out, and you are making me out to be some sort of horrible person.’
Mr Sharp said he had not attended the funeral on the advice of his solicitor. He added: ‘I class a friend as somebody who talks to people. His friends and family hadn’t spoken to him in months.
Friendship: Mr Sharp said he did not attend Mr Butcher's funeral because he did not want to upset anyone
Battle: The two sides are locked in a High Court fight at the Royal Courts of Justice in London (pictured)
‘At least I was going round whenever I was in the area. We were not good friends, just friends. I never said I was his best mate.’
Mrs Hutchins, from east London, said she and her brother had been close to her ‘uncle’ but admitted they saw less of him after their mother’s death.
Mr Rogers, who said he saw Mr Butcher two or three times a year, added: ‘My uncle had lots of friends and still came to family parties.
'He and Mr Sharp had nothing in common. It just doesn’t add up. He would tell us about what was going on in his life and Mr Sharp never, ever came up.’
The hearing continues.
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