A former cider company director who set fire to his brother's car after a dispute over their parents' wills has been ordered to pay £875,000 in legal costs after losing a court case. Alastair Bowerman, 57, sued his brothers over the division of their parents' estate, but the High Court ruled against him.
Bowerman's parents, Jean and John Bowerman, left £230,000 in cash and a 460-acre farm on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, which includes a Grade I-listed medieval manor house and a lucrative mineral water spring. Alastair received a one-third share of the cash, while his brother Ben Bowerman, 60, received the farm and an equal share of the cash.
Alastair challenged the validity of his father's 1999 will, claiming he was too ill to understand it, and alleged undue influence over his mother's will. Although a judge agreed the father's will was invalid due to lack of understanding, the claim was dismissed because Alastair delayed too long before bringing the challenge.
The court heard that relations between the brothers deteriorated to the point where Alastair was convicted of arson in 2015 for setting fire to Ben's car. He also accused Ben of fraud and corruption. Alastair now faces a legal bill of £777,000 from Ben's lawyers and a further £100,000 from other parties, wiping out his inheritance.
