A High Court battle over the estimated £40million inheritance of a pools heiress who lived on a multi-million pound estate in the Isle of Man has been settled.
The death of Patricia Moores in 2017 at the age of 86 sparked a bitter legal dispute between her children.
Mrs Moores was part of the billionaire family behind the Littlewoods empire which included the world-famous football pools.
It has been reported that Mrs Moores left behind a £40million estate as well as a sizeable trust fund.
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Her three adult children, Christian Velarde, 63, Rebecca Velarde and Matthew Velarde, 61, subsequently went to court fighting over part of her fortune.
A judge has ruled in favour of son Matthew who claimed his mother had intended her fortune be shared equally among the three of them.
The judge did not disclose the value of the trust which the three siblings will share.
The Moores, one of the richest families in the British Isles, enjoy a fortune estimated last year at £1.21bn.
It was amassed through the Littlewoods football pools and mail order retail empire, and over the years the family has owned both Liverpool and Everton football clubs.
The empire was built from scratch by Sir John Moores, helped by his brother Cecil, with the pair rising from being the sons of a bricklayer to having, at one point, three female family members said to be richer than the Queen.
Patricia Moores was Cecil’s daughter.
In 2018 Chrystals listed Sunnyside House in Victoria Road, Douglas with an asking price of £2.5million.
It is understood to have since been bought by an island resident.
Sunnyside House was described by the agents as an impressive detached family residence dating from the 1800s, situated in a private tree-lined setting, bordering Summerhill Glen to the north with Lucerne Court and Montreux Court to the south and south east.
The mature grounds extended to 2.8 acres.
It included four reception rooms and kitchen with breakfast room to the ground floor and separate butler’s pantry.
There is a self-contained one-bed apartment to the lower ground floor and to the upper floors are six bedrooms, three bathrooms two dressing rooms and attic storage.
Outside is a two-storey annexe with garaging extending to about 2,100 sq ft, a gate lodge in need of complete renovation, outside heated swimming pool and established lawn gardens and an orchard complemented by mature trees and shrubs.
An obituary tribute for Mrs Moores appeared in Isle of Man Newspapers which explained at the time: ’On Tuesday, September 5, 2017, Patricia peacefully at home on the Isle of Man, aged 86 years.
’Dearly loved mother to Christian, Matthew and Rebecca, grandmother and great grandmother.’