Zholia Alemi, consultant psychiatrist, has been on trial for attempting to fraudulently place herself in the Will of an elderly client.
Having been instructed to assess 87-year-old Gillian Belham’s mental capacity in 2016, Alemi stands accused of trying to steal an estimated £1.3 million worth of assets, including a cottage in Keswick.
It should be noted that Alemi denies all five charges made against her including fraud and theft although the evidence continues to mount up against her.
The trial concerning consultant psychiatrist, Zholia Alemi, has taken another dishonest turn this week as witness testimony has found that she has also fraudulently used two signatures as witnesses to the Will.
During the investigation, a Will, including two witness signatures, purporting to belong to Gillian Belham was found in the home of Alemi.
In the midst of the trial, the legitimacy of the Will has been raised by prosecutor, Francis McEntee. Whilst interviewing Mrs Belham, it was found that she had never asked the two witnesses to sign any documentation for her, let alone her Last Will and Testament.
Similarly, prosecution testimony from witness, Joan Grisdale, one of the women that was supposed to have signed the witness statement attached to the Will, found that she had never signed a document in the presence of Mrs Belham or the second witness, Joyce Patterson.
What became very clear was the dishonest and unscrupulous actions of Zholia Alemi as Mrs Grisdale did admit to signing a blank document under Alemi’s instructions. However, the document was supposed to be in regards to council tax issues and nothing to do with a Will.
Despite being in a position of trust and power when it comes to identifying capacity, the alleged actions of Zholia Alemi highlight the importance of maintaining clear regulations and frameworks for legal professionals working with vulnerable people. The trial continues.
How can these issues be avoided in the future? Should it be possible for vulnerable people to be exploited in this way?
