Secret deal ends £10m will case

The Mans treated Mrs Bechal like the family's grandmother

The row over a widow who left £10m to the owners of an Essex Chinese takeaway has ended in a secret deal.

Golda Bechal, from Mayfair, London, died aged 88 in January 2004 and willed her estate in 1994 to Kim Sing Man and his wife Bee Lian from Great Leighs.

At the High Court, Mrs Bechal's family argued the millionairess did not have the legal capacity to make a valid will because of her dementia.

On the second day of an appeal hearing a confidential deal was reached.

Mrs Bechal's estate comprised a string of investment properties across the South East and London.

In November last year, Judge Sir Donald Rattee ruled that despite mild dementia, Mrs Bechal was mentally well enough at the time of making the wills to know what she was doing.

At the Appeal Court, Geoffrey Vos QC said this was "plainly wrong".

'Irrational dislike'

He told the Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Andrew Morritt, Lord Justice Jacob and Lord Justice Lloyd that Sir Donald's reasons for finding in favour of the Mans were "very flimsy" as he had not dealt with a "vast body of evidence" supporting the family's case.

Spelling mistakes and errors had been made on documents including misspelling rabbi and getting her own date of birth wrong.

He also said Mrs Bechal had an "irrational, unjustified dislike and suspicion of her family", and that could explain why she decided to disinherit them.

Barrister Alan Boyle QC, for the Mans, argued Sir Donald's decision was fully in line with the evidence and could not be faulted.

Mrs Bechal's nieces and nephews, Sandra Blackman, of Devonport Road, Fulham; Barbara Green, of York Terrace East, Regents Park; Laurence Lebor, who lives in Israel; Louise Barnard, of Hendon Avenue, Barnet, and Mervyn Lebor, of Stainburn Avenue, Leeds, had argued that a previous will made in 1988 should be declared valid.