Shared Lotto winner tried to get €275k home of 'vulnerable man' with homemade will

The part-time property developer had, according to the judge, "ensured Mr Kavanagh was reliant on him to the exclusion of other people"

Judge O’Connor told barrister Rory de Bruir, who appeared for Kavanagh’s solicitor Cormac O’Ceallaigh, that Conroy’s homemade will was not valid under the 1965 Succession Act and even if it was the whole domination and control by Conroy over Mr Kavanagh gave rise to a presumption of undue influence. File photo

Co. Kildare taxi driver Seamus Conroy had abused the friendship of an innocent, vulnerable old man he lifted on a Dublin street, eventually took control of his finances and tried to acquire his €275,000 home and contents through a disputed homemade will, a judge said today.

Judge John O’Connor said that while “unconscionable conduct” was a more appropriate description of Conroy’s behaviour than civil fraud, Conroy (67) had nevertheless befriended, dominated and controlled Joe Kavanagh and his finances until he had died at the age of 85 when Conroy tried to win the vulnerable pensioner’s home for himself.