A SON has launched a fundraising campaign in a bid to overturn a High Court decision over his mother’s will.

John Clitheroe has launched the bid to help pay for his appeal for his mother’s two wills to be reinstated.

His mother Jean Clitheroe, from Clacton, died in 2017, aged 76, leaving most of her £325,000 estate to him.

While two wills had been made and executed, her daughter Susan Bond, from St Osyth, was cut out of both.

It led to what Deputy Master Linwood described as a “bitter family dispute” and Mrs Bond challenged the wills.

The court heard Jean gave detailed reasons for excluding Susan, including handwritten instructions stating her daughter was “a shopaholic and would just fritter it away”.

Susan argued the allegations were untrue and that her mother had a complex grief reaction to her beloved eldest daughter Debra’s death.

Earlier this year, the judge found that while John hadn’t interfered in Susan and Jean’s relationship, there was evidence showing Jean suffered from an “affective grief disorder” and that Susan had no noteworthy shopping habits.

The 2010 and 2013 wills were both struck out and Jean was ruled to have died intestate, meaning she died without making a valid will and her estate must be split equally.

John has now instructed will dispute lawyers Irwin Mitchell to begin work on the appeal case seeking to overturn the ruling and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support his cause.

He hopes to raise £5,000 to cover court and legal fees.

Nicola Bushby, from Irwin Mitchell, said: “This is a situation nobody wants to be in after the loss of a loved one.

“Our client cared for his mother for many years - he has found the court process to be emotionally exhausting, but strongly believes his mother had mental capacity up until her death.

“Mr Clitheroe stands by the belief the two wills were valid. Experts found no evidence of cognitive impairment.

“The fact that Mr Clitheroe’s mother went to extensive efforts to record her testamentary wishes but they were overturned is of great concern to him.

"This is a matter of testamentary freedom.”