Colleen McCullough's will update: "On its face it's a lie"
The battle for the estate of best-selling author Colleen McCullough has taken a fresh new twist with a court hearing her husband ‘took a mistress’ just before her death.
9news.com.au reports the legal fight between Selwa Anthony, one of Ms McCullough’s best friends and the executor of her will, and the author’s husband, Ric Robinson, is proving to have drama that is worthy of a page turner itself.
The author has two disputed wills – one that puts half her $2 million estate to an American University and another that gives everything to Mr Robinson.
The solicitor working on the case, Piria Coleman, also added the belief that Dr McCullough was unwell during the essential care meetings and after noting bruising on her arm believed Mr Robinson was controlling the best-selling author.
Ms Coleman had reportedly visited the author just weeks before her passing in January 2015, where Dr McCullough reportedly yelled at her to “give him what he wants”.
On a later visit to execute the will that would have left everything to Mr Robinson, Ms Coleman noted Dr McCullough seemed “very unwell” and appeared to have heavy bruising.
She also said the marks made on the document did not resemble each other.
"I took it as evidence she didn't want to sign her name," she said.
"I certainly didn't leave understanding that was a fresh will."
But defence barrister David Murr SC said she had written a letter the next day referring to, “the updated will”.
He asked the solicitor if that letter was a lie.
"On its face it's a lie...one needs to read between the lines," Ms Coleman said.
When asked why she did not ask Mr Robinson to leave the room, Ms Coleman said "there was an approach at that stage to placate Ric...to try to keep the peace...to keep Col from harm...Those were foremost in my mind on the 24th of October."
Ms Coleman's cross-examination is set to resume on Thursday.
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