Mr Ward snr, 91 when he died, told his legal representatives he was “disappointed” as he had not been visited by Fred’s children while in hospital three times with a lung condition.
But the five – sisters Carol Gowing, Angela St Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward and Janet Pett – claimed they should get their late dad’s third share of their grandfather’s money.
They argued in the High Court that Uncle Terry and Aunt Susan had “unduly influenced” their grandad into changing his will.
Mr Ward snr, from South Ealing in west London, was described as an “independent and strong minded” former soldier and cable joiner.
When his will was read out by Terry, a bitter shouting match broke out – which was played to the court.
The grandchildren insisted the 2018 document was invalid, having been made when he was “an ill man”. They said the pensioner was “frightened” of Terry, who “coerced” him into making it, and accused Susan, Mrs Ward snr’s carer in his last years, of exerting “undue influence” over him.
Their barrister told the court Terry had developed a particular “hate” for his niece Carol after a family falling out over a property, and said that there was a “palpable dislike between the two sides of the family”. Witnesses for the sisters told of “the deceased complaining of being asked for money” by Terry and Susan.
They also claimed “they were told of physically violent behaviour by Terry to the deceased”.
But Terry vehemently denied the “unpleasant” allegations and called one witness “an absolute liar”. Barrister Maxwell Myers, for Terry, also said that claims Mr Ward snr was a weak man “differs from reality”.
Ms Gowing told the court: “I can’t prove they bullied him but I feel the evidence points to that.”
The grandchildren claimed they did not visit him in hospital as they were not informed he was there.
However, their case was thrown out by High Court judge, Master James Brightwell, who said it was “entirely rational” for the “disappointed” grandad to act as he did due to their “very limited contact” with him in his last years. He said that “the evidence does not come close to persuading me” that Terry had “coerced” his father or that Susan had “controlled” him such as to cast doubt on his will.
Master Brightwell stated he accepted Susan’s evidence that her father complained Fred jnr’s family “did not care about him”.
The judge also rejected claims Mr Ward snr did not have “capacity” to make the will or that it was invalid for “want of knowledge and approval” of its effect.
