£2m estate taken from Farmer who worked for 30 years for free

The Court of Appeal have ruled that a farmer who worked without pay on a farm belonging to his cousin for 30 years was not entitled to inherit the farm on the death of the owner.

Under the terms of a Will made in 1997 by Peter Thorne, Steart Farm in Somerset was left to David Thorner, 57. However the Will was revoked to exclude one of the other beneficiaries and before he died in 2005 aged 78 Mr Thorner failed to make a new one.

At first instance the £2.1 million farm was awarded to David Thorne but that ruling was challenged by two of the deceased's sisters and a niece. Although the Court of Appeal agreed Mr Thorn had a "strong moral claim" to the farm, it would be a "dangerous precedent" for him to inherit it, said Lord Justice Lloyd.

The judge went to say, "This is another case, where, what appear to have been a man's testamentary intentions have failed because, for whatever reason, he did not take the proper steps to put them into effect."