Undue pressure had not been brought to bear on a 92-year-old widow to change her will in favour of one of her sons, a judge held yesterday.
Judge Liam Devally said in Dublin Circuit Civil Court he was satisfied that Mrs Christina Murphy, of Mourne Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, had been of sound mind and had not been subjected to undue influence in the remaking of her will almost six years ago.
Her son, Mr Peter Murphy, claimed his brother, Fergus, had influenced his mother in changing the will from favouring each of the 11 Murphy children equally to making his wife, and therefore himself, sole heir to her £90,000 home. Judge Devally told Mr Brian Spierin, counsel for sisters Ms Bernadette Clarke and Ms Gemma Tracey, administrators of the will, he found that their mother's wishes had been most concise. Their mother had been strong mentally and very capable up to her death in 1997.