'Witch' wins £10million battle

A stepmother branded "the witch" today won a £10million fortune after defeating her dead husband's children in a fight over his will.

Yvonne Sherrington, 56, was taken to court by her three stepchildren after they were cut out of their father's will seven weeks before he died.

Richard Sherrington's children Dahlia, 30, Donna, 27, and Ramon, 21, could not believe the lawyer had left them with nothing. They launched legal action to overturn the will after learning it had been drafted by their stepmother's daughter Nathalie and witnessed by an office cleaner.

Evidence in the bitter court battle last year revealed Mr Sherrington had described his wife as "Hitler" and "the witch" and said his twoyear marriage was "the biggest mistake of my life". He died in a road crash in October 2001.

In July the High Court found in favour of the children. The judge, Mr Justice Lightman, castigated Mrs Sherrington as "aggressive", "intolerant" and "unable to come to terms with the unpalatable facts".

Today the Appeal Court overturned the decision and said that "with regret" the will in favour of Mrs Sherrington should stand. Lord Justice Peter Gibson said while it was "surprising" he left nothing to his children it was "nothing short of fanciful" to conclude that Mr Sherrington, a solicitor of 30 years' experience, had not approved its contents.

The will was signed in five minutes while he and his wife were rushing to catch a flight. Mrs Sherrington claimed the will was not strange as her husband's children were not close to him, blaming him for the break-up of his first marriage. They said he would never have knowingly signed a will without making explicit provision for their future. Today Lord Justice Gibson expressed the hope that Mrs Sherrington would " fulfil the deceased's expectations by looking after the claimants ... She surely owes that much to him."

A spokesman for Mrs Sherrington said she was delighted. "She was

crushed by the judgment in the court below... She loved Richard Sherrington dearly and he in turn loved her."

The children were refused leave to take the case to the House of Lords but were considering petitioning the Law Lords for a hearing.