A "LOYAL" son was left out of his property tycoon dad's £100m will – despite offering to give his father one of his own lungs to save his life, a court heard.

Bill Reeves, 47, was left almost nothing when his dad Kevin Reeves rewrote his will to leave the majority of his vast fortune to his "flash" hairdresser daughter Louise Reeves.

Louise, 35, has been accused of "coercing" their dad into leaving £80million to her when he died aged 71 in 2019.

Kevin had initially planned to split his vast wealth – which included land and his beloved Rolls Royce Phantom – between his estranged son Mark's children, Louise, her brother Bill Reeves, 47, and their half-sister Lisa Murray.

But in 2014, he signed a new will, leaving Bill about £200,000 worth of personal effects.

The rest was split between his daughters, with Louise getting 80 per cent and Lisa – who didn't know her father until she was in her 20s – with 20 per cent.

Louise has claimed their dad saw her as the heir to his huge business empire.

But Bill is challenging the will at the High Court and has accused Louise – who he said "likes money and flash things" – of bullying their dad to get her hands on his wealth.

He claimed he always had a good relationship with his dad – and that they were so close he had actually offered to donate one of his lungs to Kevin, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Earlier, Mr Justice Michael Green heard how Kevin had created a vast personal fortune through a Southampton property empire which is now worth up to £100million.

The court heard he grew up as an orphan at a convent and left school at 12, but made himself rich through his "ingenuity and hard work".

He had four children – Bill and Louise, estranged elder son Mark, and Lisa Murray, who did not know her dad until she was in her 20s.

Kevin, who died aged 71 in 2019, had previously intended to split the bulk of his estate equally between Bill, Louise and Lisa, but he rewrote his will in 2014 to almost entirely leave Bill out.

But the will is now being challenged in court, with Bill claiming Louise "coerced" their dad into making the changes because she "likes money and power".

Bill's barrister Constance McDonnell QC insisted the move made no sense as Kevin had been proud of his son, who had turned a £20,000 investment into his own property and business empire, worth £20million.

"Kevin’s affinity with Bill manifested itself in a decision in 2011 to move into the annexe immediately adjoining Bill’s home, where Kevin lived until his death," she said.

"Kevin’s relationship with Bill continued to be very close; they saw each other at least every few days – and usually more frequently – and went on holiday together to California and Las Vegas within a few weeks of the date of signing the 2014 will.

"The closeness between them is further illustrated by the fact that Bill was prepared to donate one of his lungs to Kevin and to fund the necessary surgery."

Ms McDonnell – who claims Louise exercised "undue influence" over Kevin – said nothing had happened to make Kevin change his mind and reduce his son's inheritance from as much as £26.6milllion to only £200,000.

"Kevin and Bill had not fallen out about land and deals, and the suggestion that Bill did not lift a finger for Kevin was obviously untrue," she argued.

"Bill had at his own cost constructed the annexe at his home for Kevin’s use and to Kevin’s specification, funded its outgoings, insured his father’s cars including a valuable Bentley which Bill had given to Kevin, and was a loyal and respectful son to him.

"Such a change was startling in the context of Kevin’s family and relationships, and those who knew him well aver in their evidence that the provisions of the 2014 will are completely out of character and inexplicable."

'COERCED'

She said Kevin had been in poor health at the time he was "coerced" into making the 2014 will, suffering from his lung illness and finding it difficult to walk up stairs.

Louise earlier denied coercing her dad or being money-oriented.

And Thomas Dumont QC denied Kevin had been so ill that he was vulnerable to the influence of his daughter.

"That Kevin was not in good health is not in dispute, and that much can be gleaned from his clinical records," he said.

"However, there is no clinical material linking any of Kevin’s physical health issues to his mental wellbeing or any suggestion of vulnerability to influence.

"And he was healthy enough to take Louise on the back of his quad bike, for instance to see his horses, and even to ride on horseback himself, around the time he made the 2014 will."

Kevin was a "tough" man who was not capable of being influenced into doing anything he did not want to do, he told the court.

And Mr Dumont said he had five years after making the 2014 will in which he could have changed it if it was the product of Louise's bullying and against his wishes.

He continued: "There is no undue influence. Instead there is a sense of grievance felt by Bill, and those he has gathered around him, that they have not received the inheritance they feel they are so deserving of."

Bill's challenge to the 2014 will is being supported by Ryan McKinnon, 24, a son of Kevin's estranged son Mark who would inherit a share of his grandfather's estate worth up to £10million if the 2014 will is ruled invalid.

Lisa Murray – who would inherit as much as £26.6million under the 2012 will, but up to £20million under the disputed will – is supporting her sister Louise in court.

The trial continues.

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