Margaret Colquhoun, 78, has been jailed after a New South Wales court convicted her of fraud over the attempted acquisition of a Glebe terrace through adverse-possession rules, often described as squatters’ rights. Her son Andrew was also convicted, while her solicitor husband Peter was acquitted, as the court found the prosecution had not proved his involvement beyond reasonable doubt.

The court found that Margaret and Andrew dishonestly claimed they had occupied the property from November 2000, a date significant because adverse possession generally requires 12 years of exclusive occupation. The derelict terrace had belonged to Ansis Neilands, who died in 1995, and was later sold in 2022 for about A$3.67 million; the case concerned an asset valued at roughly A$4 million.