Daughter only knew dad was dead when she found ‘cheap grave’ and widow ‘had taken £30k’

A daughter was horrified after learning her father’s widow had taken more than £300,000 from his bank account after his death – having “dumped him in a cheap grave”.

Jill Langley, 70, stumbled upon her father Robert Harrington’s “cheap grave” and found out the retired butcher had died nearly two months earlier. His widow, Guixiang Qin – who went by the name Chelsea – had failed to inform her.

Ms Langley learned that Qin, who was 39 years younger than Robert, had married him at the age of 94, around a year before he passed away from sepsis. In his final months, Qin withdrew over £300,000 from his bank account, even making withdrawals after his death.

Only child Ms Langley, a former antiques dealer, uncovered this at an extraordinary court hearing which she initiated after discovering she had been cut out of her father’s will.

A new legal document, drawn up just weeks before Robert died, left everything to Qin, 54, and her university-aged son.

Ms Langley, from Downham Market, Norfolk, said: “Dad had been dead for weeks – and dumped in a cheap grave.”

Ms Langley won her legal battle earlier this month, with the judge branding Qin “unfit” and ruling that the new will had been “procured by undue influence.” Qin was stripped of her right to manage Robert’s estate, and the judge found she had acted with “a significant element of impropriety.” Robert had also suffered from paranoia in his old age, the court heard.

Speaking after the ruling, Ms Langley said: “I realised I had two choices – either let this woman walk away with everything my family had worked for or do something about it.

“My dear mum was small but worked really hard for my dad, as did I, my cousin, and my uncle. The whole family contributed to the success of the business, and for it all to go to a stranger who thought she could take everything wasn’t right. She buried my dad after a funeral that cost about £600 and tried to move on with his money.”

Despite being stripped of control over Robert’s estate, Qin is still entitled to thousands of pounds as his wife. Ms Langley has since supported a campaign to protect the elderly from “predatory marriages”.

Ms Langley’s solicitor, Andrew Bishop from Rothley Law, told : “Predatory marriages are very simplistic and cunning for scammers. The current Wills Act dates back to 1837 and urgently needs updating.

“There’s little safeguarding around marriages, and at ceremonies, motives are rarely questioned. Those who are vulnerable or have dementia can present no red flags unless the right questions are asked, and the signs are often missed.”

The case echoes that of Daphne Franks, whose 91-year-old mum Joan Blass married a 67-year-old man, who inherited her £200,000 estate. Joan, who had dementia and cancer, married Colman Folan just months before she died in 2016. Her existing will was voided, leaving her children with nothing.

Daphne, 68, from Newcastle, has been campaigning for a change in the law, which currently allows marriage to overrule any existing will. Like Ms Langley, she felt her parent was buried without dignity – Joan lies in an unmarked grave in Otley, West Yorkshire.

“There’s no headstone where mum is buried,” said Daphne. “It used to have a number on it, but now that’s disappeared.

“The mound of grass where she lies is a symbol of injustice to our family.

“I don’t think many people realise that wills are voided by marriage, making it easy for predators to exploit people’s estates.”