A former West End cabaret star won an inheritance battle at the High Court against her son. Jobyna Watts, 92, had been accused by her son Carlton Watts of forging – or having someone else forge for her – the will of her late husband. Mrs Watts, a former “Windmill girl”, inherited musician and businessman Eustace Watts’ estate following his death in 2008.

Her 64-year-old son, however, did not receive anything from his father’s will.

Mr Watts brought his mother to court claiming she had “defrauded” his father’s estate, which he values at approximately £8million – a sum Mrs Watts disputed.

However, following a trial at the High Court in London, judge Master Julia Clark upheld Mr Watts’ will and cleared his widow of the forgery claim.

The son of the former cabaret star, the judge said, had formed a “fixed belief” he had been conned by his mother, whom he even reported to the police.

She said: “My evaluation of Carlton’s evidence is that he holds a fixed belief that his mother has dishonestly and unfairly deprived him of his entitlement to his father’s estate, and that this has coloured and distorted his view of the factual matters relevant to this case.

“For this reason, I do not consider him a credible witness, and only accept his evidence when supported by independent contemporaneous documentation.”

The will, the judge added, had been validly signed by Mr Watts’ father.

Crucial evidence in the case was provided by the solicitor of late Mr Watts, Sarah Evans, who told the court she remembered her client had signed the will.

The judge said: “Ms Evans recalled the deceased’s instructions as being clear and consistent: he wanted Mrs Watts, as his surviving spouse, to be the sole beneficiary of his estate and he did not want Carlton to inherit anything if Mrs Watts survived him.

“I accept Ms Evans’ evidence that she remembers the deceased because he was a long-standing client of the firm, whom she had seen on many occasions in the firm’s waiting room – and whose affairs she was aware of from discussions with her colleagues – and a memorable character.”

Mr Watts had claimed the will dating back to the 2000 overrode his father’s true intention that his son should get a third of his wealth.

Mr Watts had claimed a previous will from 1994, which saw the former musician’s wealth split equally between himself, his mum and his brother Fraser Watts, was the last true will of the late Mr Watts.

But the musician’s widow insisted the latest document was her husband’s “last true will” and also claimed she owns her husband’s assets in any case, as they jointly held their fortune.

The barrister representing Mr and Mrs Watts’ son, Justin Holmes, questioned the authenticity of signatures present on the 2000 will and had highlighted evidence from a forensic expert who raised concerns regarding the “pen pressure” of various signatures on the will, which they claimed were surprisingly similar.

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The “angle of letter formation” on the late Mr Watts’ signature was also markedly similar to Mrs Watts’ signature, it was claimed, as was alleged that the disputed will may have been created by “tracing” signatures from another Watts family will prepared in 2000.

However, Master Clark said she preferred the evidence presented by Mrs Watt’s handwriting expert, who described the forgery accusations against her as being “erroneous and unsafe”.

Defending Mrs Watts, barrister Matthew Tonnard said the claims raised by the son of the former Windmill Girl were motivated by “animosity and spite’.

He told the judge: “This isn’t how she should be spending her golden years.”

Mrs Watts became an established dancer at the Windmill Theatre in London’s West End in the wake of World War II.

Her dance routine, which involved tambourine and tap, made her an acclaimed figure at the theatre.

Her romance with musician, singer and songwriter Mr Watts was entwined with their work, as they formed a double act known as “Ricardo and Jobyna” – with Mr Watts taking the stage name Peter Ricardo.

The pair married in 1955 and eventually settled in Hounslow, west London.

Mr Watts rose to prominence despite being orphaned as a child in Grenada.

His love for music was likely influenced by the English judge who adopted Mr Watts and taught him to read music as well as play piano and guitar.

In 1957, after he had started a calypso band and was writing his own music, Mr Watts released the album Hi-fi Calypso.

In the 1960s, he left behind his musical career and turned to business, deciding to run a hotel and amassing a portfolio of residential and commercial properties in west London.

The musician and property entrepreneur died aged 92 in April 2008, having suffered from cancer and dementia in his later years.

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