Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A Kariba man was on Wednesday sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of forging his late mother’s will in an attempt to disinherit his sister and claim her share of the estate, which is valued at over US$181 000.
Gregory Graham Hall (50) was convicted of fraud and forgery by Harare regional magistrate Mrs Sandra Mupindu after a full trial.
For the charge of forgery, he was initially sentenced to five years in prison.
However, two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Additionally, three years were suspended on condition that he restitutes property worth US$130 000 to the estate.
This restitution must be done by December 31, 2025.
For the fraud charge, Hall received an effective three-year sentence, which he will serve.
The complainant is Melanie Jane Hall (52), his sister.
Prosecutor Mr Zvikomborero Mupasa revealed that on November 3, 2010, Noreece Lesley Hall, the mother of Gregory and Melanie, passed away at her home located at 4 Cecil Road, Greendale, Harare.
Following her death, Gregory submitted a will dated May 21, 2008, which he claimed had been signed by their late mother.
The will named him as the sole beneficiary of her estate.
Based on this document, the Master of the High Court granted him control over the entire inheritance.
However, in March 2022, Melanie visited the office of Rodgers Matsikidze, the executor of the estate.
During the meeting, she was shown the contested will. Upon inspection, she immediately noticed irregularities.
She identified the signature on the will as a forgery and recognised her brother’s handwriting on the document, particularly where he had named himself as the sole beneficiary.
Melanie subsequently filed a police report, prompting an investigation into the authenticity of the will.
The forged will was analysed by a questioned document expert, who compared it with genuine documents signed by the late Noreece Lesley Hall.
The expert concluded that the signature on the will did not belong to the deceased and confirmed that Gregory had authored parts of the document, including his name as the beneficiary.
Additionally, police interviewed the two witnesses who had purportedly signed the will.
Both testified that they never saw Noreece sign the document and confirmed that Gregory had approached them with the will already signed.
The deceased’s estate included valuable properties such as flats in Bridgeways and Sutherland Heights, as well as a 2,4 percent share of a piece of land known as Stand 1667, Salisbury Township.
Using the forged will, Gregory managed to sell Stand 28 Bridgeway Mews in Avondale, Harare, for US$111 029,25.
He also claimed US$70 000 from the deceased’s share in Stand 1667.
The total prejudice to the estate amounted to US$181 029,25.
On a separate charge, the estate of the late Noreece Lesley Hall, represented by executor Rodgers Matsikidze, filed a complaint against Gregory for the fraudulent misappropriation of the estate.
Bongani Ndlovu