Man's 'nightmare' as siblings try to cash in on Yorkshire dad's estate

A brother and sister have been sentenced after they were found guilty of fraud over an amended will which would have seen them share an inheritance from their late father.

Rashpal Sandhu, 53, and her older brother Harjinder Singh, 60, were convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court of fraud by false representation over a codicil document which purported to amend their father’s will effectively disinheriting their two other brothers.

The court heard yesterday (Thurs) how the original will would have seen the four siblings each receive a 25 per cent share from the estate, but prosecutor Ella Embleton said the fraudulent codicil would have meant that Sandhu and Singh would have each received 50 per cent shares instead.

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Following their father’s death in 2019 the codicil supposedly signed by their late father was submitted to the Probate Registry, but the police became involved.

The court heard that there had disputes in the family and one of the disinherited brothers provided a witness statement in which he described having suffered “a living nightmare” for the last seven-and-a-half years.

He said the defendants were no longer his brother and sister and to him they “never existed”. It was explained that their late father’s house had been sold and that his estate was worth about £87,000 with each sibling due to receive a quarter share of almost £22,000.

But Recorder Ella Anderson was told that the convictions for fraud would now mean that Sandhu and Singh would not be entitled to any of the money.

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Sandhu, formerly of Tyersal Walk, Bradford, and Singh, formerly of Daleside Avenue, Stanningley, Leeds, were both given suspended jail sentences. Singh was sentenced to 20 months suspended for two years and he must comply with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

His sister Sandhu was jailed for 18 months, but that sentence was also suspended for two years. She must comply with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay £2000 towards the court costs. Singh was told he must pay £1000 costs.

The court heard that they had both now moved out of the West Yorkshire area. Recorder Anderson said cases of fraud were serious by their nature especially cases of this kind.

But she said she had taken into account that the fraudulent document had been identified and the defendants had not in fact benefitted from their behaviour. “In fact I’m now told they lose their right to any share at all from the inheritance,” she added.