The daughter of an inventor who played a key role in the creation of revolutionary fighter jet is suing her cousin over her father’s legacy.
Candice Harrison is challenging an inheritance left to her cousin, Jonathan Greenwood, who was gifted £400,000 as part of her father’s estate, as she claims he took advantage of her seriously ill mother.
Arthur Harrison was responsible for inventing key elements of the Hawker Harrier jump jet, a British fighter jet which capable of vertical take-offs and landings. Arthur died in 2010 and left his entire valuable estate to his wife, Julie Harrison, and sister.
His wife died two years ago and left the £2.5 million estate to be split between various charities, Candice, who was left the house and other large assets, and Candice’s cousin, Jonathan Greenwood, who was left £400,000.
However, Candice alleges that Greenwood pressurised her mother in order to receive the £400,000. She alleges Greenwood “played on and exploited her deteriorating condition”.
Julie Harrison was diagnosed with dementia in 2013 and Owen Curry, the barrister who represented Candice, claims she was in no right-minded position and “could not have handled large sums of money”.
Julie’s last will was made in 2017, which Curry argued she could not have been in a mentally sound position to understand what she was signing.
He reiterated Candice’s claims that Greenwood pushed her into drafting a new will to gift Greenwood money.
Curry told the court that Greenwood exploited Julie’s “deteriorating capacity” to “persuade her ‘wrongly’ that her daughter was treating her unfairly, was only interested in money, was unfairly preventing her from managing her own affairs”.
It was also alleged that Greenwood convinced the widow that her daughter was going to sell her house and move her into a care home. Greenwood did not attend the hearing.
Candice has asked for the 2017 will to be ignored and the full legacy, bar money for charities, to be given to her in full. The judge has reserved ruling until a later date.
