Family Feud Over Sir Stirling Moss's £27.8m Estate

The family of Sir Stirling Moss is embroiled in a bitter High Court inheritance dispute over the late racing driver's £20 million-plus fortune, with serious allegations now set out in court documents.

Claims have been filed by Sir Stirling's son, Stirling Elliot Moss, amid an acrimonious legal battle with his half-sister, Allison Bradley, concerning the will of their mother and stepmother, Lady Susie Moss. Lady Moss died on March 18, 2023, aged 69, leaving an estate valued at £27.8 million, having previously inherited the bulk of her husband's £22 million estate.

In documents lodged with the High Court, Elliot alleges that Lady Moss's "alleged will" dated January 25, 2022 was "procured by undue influence and/or fraudulent calumny" exercised by a friend and potential beneficiary of her estate. He claims this individual "poisoned" Lady Moss's mind against him in favour of his stepdaughter.

The court papers further allege that Lady Moss lacked capacity to manage her affairs due to decades of alcohol dependency and depression, which are said to have caused brain damage, episodes of irrational anger and false beliefs. It is also claimed she developed a "complex bereavement disorder" following Sir Stirling's death in April 2020, during which she would carry his ashes in an urn, cradling it and at times dabbing ashes behind her ears.

According to the documents, a friend visited Lady Moss frequently during Sir Stirling's final years, drinking with her and allegedly sleeping between the couple in their bed, sometimes overnight. After Sir Stirling's death, the same individual is said to have supplied Lady Moss with alcohol despite repeated pleas from her son and her nursing team.

Sir Stirling Moss, widely regarded as the greatest Formula One driver never to win a world championship, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease years before his death aged 90. Elliot alleges that following his father's death, the wrong will was submitted for probate.

The inheritance row was first reported in November, when Ms Bradley issued legal proceedings asserting that the January 2022 will represented Lady Moss's last valid testament. That will appointed Ms Bradley and Richard Frankel, a classic-car collector and friend of both Sir Stirling and Lady Moss, as trustees of a discretionary trust benefiting both children. The will does not specify how the estate was to be divided, though Elliot claims it allowed the trustees to exclude him entirely.

Elliot is seeking a court ruling in favour of what he says was Lady Moss's true last will, executed on April 29, 2002, accompanied by a letter of wishes stating that her residuary estate should be divided 75 per cent to him and 25 per cent to Ms Bradley.

Ms Bradley, Sir Stirling's daughter from his second marriage to American public relations executive Elaine Barbarino, has been given until January 28 to respond. She is expected to argue that the counter-claim is riddled with inaccuracies, including assertions that her relationship with her stepmother was distant and at times strained, and that she visited her ailing father fewer than a dozen times.

By contrast, Elliot and his wife, Helen, are described in the documents as having enjoyed an "extremely close relationship" with Sir Stirling and Lady Moss at all material times.

The most serious allegations concern Mr Frankel, 61, who was previously appointed administrator of both estates before being replaced last year by consent order. Although he has not been joined to the current proceedings, Elliot alleges that Mr Frankel attempted on multiple occasions to persuade Sir Stirling to divide his estate equally between his children and later encouraged Lady Moss to leave her entire residuary estate to her stepdaughter. Mr Frankel is named as a beneficiary in the 2022 will, though the documents do not specify what he stood to inherit. He could not be reached for comment and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.

The 29-page counter-claim paints a detailed picture of Lady Moss's declining health, alleging that by 2020 she was drinking one to two bottles of wine and half a bottle of gin daily, suffered from impaired memory, false beliefs, alcohol-related mood disorder and episodes of hepatic encephalopathy. It claims that by 2022 she was incapable of managing emails, telephone calls or financial affairs, and often did not know the day or date.

The documents also allege multiple failings by the law firm Teacher Stern, which advised on both estates, including submitting the wrong will for probate and failing to assess Lady Moss's mental capacity after she was widowed. The firm said it is not a party to the current proceedings and declined to comment due to client confidentiality.

Lady Moss was the younger sister of Tina Green, wife of billionaire retailer Sir Philip Green. The counter-claim alleges that following Sir Stirling's death, Lady Green persuaded her sister to meet solicitors to progress estate matters.

Among other disputed assets are Sir Stirling's 10 BRDC Gold Stars and the helmet worn in the final race of his career, which Lady Moss's 2002 letter of wishes stated should pass to her son. The documents say Mr Frankel previously told solicitors that Lady Moss had searched for the helmet but could not find it.

Both children were reportedly included in Sir Stirling's own will, with Elliot inheriting £132,000. After Lady Moss's death, Elliot told the Evening Standard he had yet to receive any inheritance and was facing the possible sale of his London restaurant or family home.

Broadgate Legal