London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Man who gave dead brother's £367,000 to homeless ordered to pay it back

A window cleaner who converted his late brother’s fortune into gold coins to give to the homeless has been ordered to pay the money back to his family.
Peter Ivory, 58, said it was brother Michael’s dying wish for him to give his estate, worth £414,000, away and argued that he had done the morally right thing after his sibling died without a will.

He said Michael did not have a good relationship with his family and wanted it to go to the ‘hard-working poor and homeless’. After expenses, Peter was left with £367,000 which he distributed to people on the streets of Cambridge, the Isle of Wight and in Scotland.

However, the High Court has ruled that Ivory, from Hendon, north west London, did not have the right to do this and should have split the cash with their other relatives.

He now faces a £250,000 bill after a judge said he committed a ‘monumental breach’ of his duty as administrator of Mick’s estate.

Mr Ivory, will now have to hand over about £100,000 to his brother Alan, £95,000 to another brother John and £50,000 to his nephew, Michael.

Judge Timothy Bowles said: ‘You may think you took a moral position but what you have actually done is deprive other people of money that is actually theirs, and that is not a moral position.’

The court heard that Mick, 61, died without making a will and that Peter handled his affairs, including the sale of his home in Wallington, Surrey.

His estate consisted of the proceeds of sale of the house, his Lurcher dog Lady and a collection of rare Osmond Family memorabilia, accumulated by his wife, Pat, who died four years before him.

Under intestacy laws, which apply when someone dies without making a will, Alan, John and Michael expected to share the money with Peter as Mick’s surviving next of kin.

But Peter told the court he had been holding his brother’s hand as he lay dying in hospital and that Mick ‘made him promise’ that his money should go to him or the poor – not the family.

He said: ‘Mick told me to keep it all and, if I couldn’t keep it, to give it away. His whole plan was to make sure they didn’t get it.’

He said he took in the dog, gave the memorabilia to the Osmonds fanclub, handed out a few small gifts to others, and then converted most of the rest of the money.

Brothers Alan, John and nephew Michael subsequently put forward a claim for their share of the estate after a family row broke out.

In court, Peter accepted that what he did was against the law, but insisted he considered the rest of the family were ‘entitled to nothing’ morally.

He said: ‘Mick worked his whole life, 40 years on the underground, for that money. I couldn’t give them his money. They didn’t sit holding his hand as he was dying. They didn’t hear what he said to me.

‘He told me what he wanted to do. I thought my responsibility was to follow my dying brother’s wishes.

‘I made a mistake, but I didn’t make a mistake as far as my brother is concerned.’

As well being ordered to hand over £245,000 to the other family members, the judge ordered Peter to pay their lawyers’ bills for the case, worth about £10,000.

‘You knew that they had legal entitlements, but you decided that, because your brother had expressed certain wishes, you weren’t going to comply with the law,’ said the judge.

‘Legally speaking, it was completely wrong from beginning to end,’ he added. ‘None of this would be happening were it not for that election that he made.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×