Three jailed for £4m inheritance fraud

Three people have been jailed for a total of more than 12 years for conspiring to defraud the inheritance of an estate.

 

Leigh Voysey

In 2021, Leigh Voysey claimed to have been named as the sole beneficiary in a will made by Maureen Renny, the owner of a £4m estate in Much Hadham, Bishop’s Stortford, before she had passed away. The deceased’s family, who knew nothing of Voysey or the will, reported the matter to police suspecting it was a forgery.

The will had been ‘verified’ and witnessed by two friends of Voysey’s and the trio appeared at court in October 2024 following their arrest, pleading guilty to the charges.

They returned to St Albans Crown Court today, Thursday 5 December for sentencing:

• Leigh Voysey, aged 46, of Standon Road, Little Hadham, was sentenced to six years and six months for fraud by false representation and four years and six months for forgery, to run concurrently
• Amber Collingwood, aged 44, of Red Lion Court, Bishop's Stortford, was sentenced to three years and six months for forgery
• Ben Mayes, aged 42, formerly of Milwards, Harlow, was sentenced to two years six months for forgery

Amber Collingwood

Detective Constable Sian Beames, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit who lead the case, said: “This was an extremely complex and long running investigation, which required detailed study of probate law and examination of the forged document.

“Voysey had befriended the deceased on only one occasion before she died and saw an opportunity to wrongfully make a claim to ownership of the estate. She had previously been a pupil at the deceased’s school – having left over 30 years ago. The family, with help from our detectives, was able to prove that this was an opportunistic attempt to steal the family’s inheritance and keep the proceeds for herself and her accomplices.

“The victims who were the true beneficiaries of the estate had been further subject to a lengthy civil trial costing thousands. The impact on them has been huge in terms of mental, physical and emotional distress”.

Ben Mayes