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TV psychic left ‘penniless’ after being handed a £220,000 bill after losing inheritance fight tells the judge he ‘didn’t need a crystal ball’ to know he would lose
Gary Pammen, a television psychic and poet, has lost a second attempt to overturn his late father’s will, which left the estate to Pammen’s sister and niece. The High Court rejected his appeal, leaving him facing legal costs of more than £220,000; he told the judge he was “penniless” and had expected to lose.
His father, Terrance Pammen, died in 2022 aged 83, leaving an estate valued at £451,840, mostly consisting of a £440,000 house in Stratford, east London. Gary argued that his father lacked the mental capacity to make the 2016 will and did not understand its contents. His sister and niece said Terrance was mentally sharp when he made it, and the original judge upheld the will and ordered Gary to pay £216,000 in costs.
In short
- Gary Pammen has lost his appeal over his father’s will.
- His legal costs now exceed £220,000.
- The £451,840 estate went to his sister and niece.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Gary Pammen’s challenge can be seen as a legitimate effort to ensure that his father understood and had capacity to make a will that excluded him. Given the estate’s value and the importance of a valid will reflecting the deceased’s wishes, seeking an appeal may have seemed justified if he believed the original decision had not properly addressed those concerns.
The case against
His sister and niece can argue that the will should stand because the court upheld it and found the challenge did not justify overturning it. They were entitled to defend their father’s expressed wishes, and the substantial costs reflect the legal expense of responding to repeated proceedings.
Explained simply
A will is a legal document setting out who should receive someone’s money and property after their death. If a relative believes the person did not have the mental ability to make the will, they can challenge it in court.
Terrance Pammen’s estate was worth £451,840, mostly the house where he lived in Stratford, east London. His 2016 will left it to his daughter and granddaughter; his son Gary disputed whether his father understood the will when he made it.
The case involved competing accounts of Terrance’s mental sharpness, which the court had to assess against the evidence. Disputes over wills can affect how an estate is shared and leave the people involved with substantial legal costs.