The sons of Stuart Marcus, a successful toy-making entrepreneur, are embroiled in a legal battle over inheritance following claims that DNA tests have revealed one of them is not Marcus’s biological child, as reported by The Telegraph.
Stuart Marcus, who began his career selling wooden dollhouse kits in a small East London toy shop, expanded his business empire to a valuation of £14.5 million before his death in 2019 at the age of 86. His sons, Edward, 46, and Jonathan, 42, both played roles in the family business, with Jonathan managing operations in Germany.
Marcus had allocated 43% of his business assets to a family trust intended for the benefit of his “children and remoter issue… and their spouses.” However, Jonathan is now challenging Edward’s entitlement to the trust, alleging that Edward is the result of an affair their mother, Patricia Marcus, had with her former lover, Sydney Glossop.
Patricia, 81, confessed to the affair, revealing that Edward might be Glossop’s son. Edward recounted that he first learned about his potential parentage during a private conversation with his mother in 2010, though she later retracted her statement. Jonathan only discovered this information last year, prompting his legal action supported by DNA evidence.
Edward disputes the DNA findings and asserts that they do not conclusively prove his lack of biological connection to Stuart. He maintains that, regardless of the DNA results, he has a rightful claim to the trust. Edward’s lawyer, Matthew Mills, emphasised the profound personal impact of the case, stating it fundamentally challenges Edward’s identity.
Adding complexity, Edward argues that no DNA sample from Stuart was available, which means the tests cannot definitively determine which brother is biologically related to him. He posits that Patricia’s affair with Glossop may have extended beyond one night, suggesting Jonathan could also be Glossop’s son.
Patricia refuted this claim, testifying that her affair was brief and affirming her belief that Edward is Glossop’s son. She noted that Glossop had also accepted Edward as his child. Jonathan’s lawyer, Mr. Braithwaite, highlighted DNA results indicating a 25 times greater likelihood that Edward and Jonathan are half-siblings rather than full siblings, implying that only one of them is Stuart’s biological child.
The court heard that Patricia and Jonathan hold directorships in most family companies, while Edward left the family business in 2014 after relations soured. The judge has reserved judgment in the case, with a decision to be issued at a later date.
