Latest news with #HerbertDucent
Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Shaggy singer caught in court fight over father's £900k estate
A British singer who teamed up with Shaggy on his 2000 hit It Wasn't Me is caught in a family legal feud over his deceased father's £900,000 estate. Rickardo 'Rik Rok' Ducent, 52, is embroiled in a row between his mother and his penniless half-sister Sarah Ducent over assets in London and Jamaica. Ducent co-wrote the R&B single with Shaggy — real name Orville Burrell — and two others. The song topped the charts in 2001 with Ducent singing the main vocals on the track, which has since recorded around a billion plays on Spotify. The singer is in court as part of a family legal clash after Sarah claimed a share of their father's estate. The death of Herbert Ducent in 2007 at the age of 63, has pitting pitted Sarah against the singer's mother Dorothy Ducent, who had worked alongside her husband in his business. Ducent was previously a party to the dispute and gave evidence in court to support his mother's defence to her stepdaughter's claim. Central London county court was told that Herbert Ducent ran a successful construction company in Jamaica, and a bakery in Brixton, south London. His will had been drafted in Jamaica and named his widow the main beneficiary, leaving nothing to Sarah, with Ducent telling the court their father and Sarah were 'estranged'. However, Sarah, who said she lives 'on the breadline', is attempting to secure 'reasonable provision' from the estate in a claim she has said should be considered as she was dependent on her late father under the terms of the 1975 Inheritance Act. A complication involves her convincing the court that at the time of his death, her father was legally 'domiciled' in the UK. The judge, Ann Evans-Gordon, has been asked to rule on whether the English or Jamaican court has jurisdiction to deal with the claim. The court was told that while the father died 18 years ago, the legal wrangle had been delayed because of difficulty in finding his original will. Jian Jun Liew, a lawyer for the widow, rejected the claim that the businessman wanted to 'anchor' himself to the UK in his latter years. He highlighted the fact that in 1983 Ducent moved his family to Jamaica. That relocation, said the barrister, 'was wholly consistent with the loss of any domicile of choice of England and Wales on the deceased's part and the acquisition of a domicile of choice in Jamaica'. The judge reserved her decision to a later date.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
It Wasn't Me singer caught in inheritance row
The singer who teamed up with Shaggy on the hit anthem It Wasn't Me has become embroiled in a court row over his father's £1 million fortune Rickardo 'Rik Rok' Ducent co-wrote the 2001 hit with dancehall star Shaggy, singing the main vocals on the track which reached No 1 in 10 countries and has surpassed a billion streams on Spotify. The 52-year-old British-Jamaican vocalist has now been caught up in a legal battle with Sarah Ducent, his half-sister, who is claiming a share of their father's fortune. Herbert Ducent, who died in 2007, aged 63, ran a bakery in Brixton, south London, and a construction company in Jamaica. His English estate mainly consisted of two neighbouring properties in Sydenham, jointly valued at about £900,000, while his Jamaican assets have yet to be quantified in the UK courts. In his will, drawn up in Jamaica, Ducent Snr named his widow, Dorothy, as his main heir, cutting out his 'estranged' daughter, Sarah. The musician's half-sister, who says she is now living 'on the breadline', has gone to court to secure 'reasonable provision' from her father's estate. If she is to succeed she must first prove that her father was legally 'domiciled' in the UK at the time of his death. Asked by Oliver Ingham, Miss Ducent's barrister, about his father's relationship with her, Mr Ducent said: 'My father and I were quite close so we talked about Sarah.' He said the pair had become estranged after a family friend complained to his father about Miss Ducent's behaviour. 'My father told me that she declared she wanted nothing more to do with him and he said 'are you sure that's what you want because if we're done we're done',' Miss Ducent, however, insists that she and her father stayed close over the years, describing him outside court as a 'brilliant man' and saying: 'I reject the idea of any estrangement.' The 1975 Inheritance Act covering her claim would only apply if Ducent Snr was 'domiciled' in the UK. Mr Ingham said Ducent Snr's death had been registered in the UK in 2007 only a year after he renewed his British passport, suggesting he had recognised the UK as his domicile. But Jian Jun Liew, Mrs Ducent's barrister, rebutted the idea that Ducent Snr ever wanted to 'anchor' himself to the UK in his latter years, focusing on the fact that in 1983 he had moved his entire family back to Jamaica after spending 20 years in London working at various trades. After two days in court, Judge Ann Evans-Gordon has reserved her decision in the case. In past interviews, Mr Ducent, who grew up in London and rural Jamaica, has explained how his love of music was sparked by hearing his parents sing, naming his father as an inspiration and a 'big reggae fan'. Miss Ducent, a former civil servant, said outside court: 'I am hurt by the whole thing and I've lost my whole family. 'My dad died, but on the day he died I didn't think I would end up being in the position I am today going through all this heartache. I don't have a step-mother any more. 'This money would make a great difference in my life, I am on the breadline right now.'
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The Independent
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘It Wasn't Me' singer caught up in family court battle over dead father's fortune
The singer who teamed up with Shaggy for the number one hit 'It Wasn't Me' is caught up in a bitter family court battle over his dead father's £1m fortune. British-Jamaican vocalist Rickardo 'Rik Rok' Ducent co-wrote the 2001 smash with Shaggy. He sang the main vocals on the track, which was the best-selling single of the year in the UK and has since clocked up more than one billion plays on Spotify. In the song, Rik laments that he's been 'caught red-handed' cheating on his partner, while Shaggy urges him to tell her: 'It wasn't me'. The hit, which reached number one in 10 countries, carved out Rik Rok's name as a solo artist. However, the singer, now aged 52, is caught up in a fraught inter-family legal clash after his half-sister, Sarah Ducent, went to court claiming a fair share of the £900,000-plus fortune bequeathed by their father, Herbert Ducent. Herbert died in 2007, aged 63, leaving behind assets in both London and Jamaica. The clash at Central London County Court pits Sarah against Rik Rok's mother, Dorothy Ducent, who had worked alongside Herbert in his south London bakery business and inherited his wealth after his death. Rik, whose birth name is Rickardo George Ducent, was previously a party to the dispute. He gave evidence in court to support his mother's defence to her stepdaughter's claim. Herbert was an entrepreneur who established a successful construction company in Jamaica, as well as running the bakery in Brixton. His English estate mainly consisted of two neighbouring properties in Peak Hill, Sydenham, jointly valued at around £900,000. His Jamaican assets have yet to be quantified in the British courts, although his daughter Sarah said he owned significant real estate on the island. In his will, drawn up in Jamaica, Herbert named his widow Dorothy as his main heir, cutting out his daughter, Sarah, from whom Rik claims he had become 'estranged'. But Sarah, who says she is now living 'on the breadline', has gone to court in a bid to secure 'reasonable provision' from her father's estate in line with the terms of the 1975 Inheritance Act as his dependant. If she is to succeed, Sarah must first get over the legal hurdle of proving that her dad was legally resident or 'domiciled' in the UK at the time of his death, with her claim liable to be struck out otherwise. The key question for Judge Ann Evans-Gordon to now decide is whether the English courts have 'jurisdiction' to deal with the claim, or whether it is an issue for authorities in Jamaica. Although Herbert Ducent died 18 years ago, the case brought by Sarah has been held up due to multiple factors, including delays in finding his original will and a previous UK court dispute which was settled on the basis that Herbert had not died intestate (without making a will). In the witness box, Rik was asked by Sarah's barrister, Oliver Ingham, about his father's life in both Jamaica and the UK and his relationship with Sarah, with Rik noting that Herbert had multiple business projects on the go during his lifetime. Quizzing him about the father-daughter relationship, the barrister suggested that Rik would have had little direct knowledge about what went on between the pair. But Rik insisted that he had lived with Sarah at times during his childhood in Jamaica and added: 'My father and I were quite close so we talked about Sarah'. 'It's not correct that after leaving Jamaica to come to the UK for college she was estranged from Herbert or that she cut off relations with him,' Mr Ingham put to him. 'That's what he told me,' insisted Rik, also claiming that the family friend with whom Sarah was lodging had called up Herbert to "complain to my father about her behaviour". 'On his next trip to the UK, he confronted her about it and an argument ensued,' said the singer. 'My father told me that she declared she wanted nothing more to do with him and he said 'are you sure that's what you want because if we're done we're done'.' Sarah, however, insists that she and her dad stayed close over the years, describing him outside court as a 'brilliant man' and saying: 'I reject the idea of any estrangement'. The 1975 Inheritance Act covering Sarah's claim would only apply if Herbert was 'domiciled' in the UK, but her barrister claimed there was solid evidence that Herbert, although Jamaica-born, wished to base himself in London, having built up strong family ties and business interests here. 'Sarah Ducent asserts that the deceased, her late father, was domiciled – or had acquired domicile by choice – in the United Kingdom at the time of his death in 2007,' he told the judge. 'Her position is that the deceased spent extended periods residing in the UK, becoming increasingly involved in UK-based business ventures and investments, having family in the UK and owning property in England. 'According to Sarah, Jamaica effectively became a secondary residence for the deceased, primarily visited for occasional business checks or leisure.' He said Herbert's death had been registered in the UK in 2007 only a year after he renewed his British passport, suggesting he had recognised the UK as his domicile. The delay of nearly 17 years in his family's claiming Jamaican domicile for Herbert suggested a "shift in their position motivated by the litigation itself." 'Sarah refutes the assertion that the deceased permanently abandoned the UK after suffering a stroke in 1997," he continued. 'In conclusion, the claimant respectfully invites the court to determine that, at the date of his death, the deceased had acquired and retained a domicile of choice in England and Wales. 'The evidence presented demonstrates that the deceased's substantial personal, financial and familial ties were anchored primarily in England and Wales at the material time.' But Dorothy's barrister, Jian Jun Liew, rebutted the idea that Herbert ever wanted to 'anchor' himself to the UK in his latter years, focusing on the fact that in 1983 he had moved his entire family back to Jamaica after spending 20 years in London working at various trades. 'The relocation of Herbert's entire family to Jamaica in 1983 was wholly consistent with the loss of any domicile of choice of England and Wales on the deceased's part and the acquisition of a domicile of choice in Jamaica,' he argued. After two days in court, the judge has reserved her decision in the case. In past interviews, Rik, who grew up in London and rural Jamaica, has explained how his love of music was sparked by hearing his parents sing, naming his dad as an inspiration and a 'big reggae fan'. He has said he never gets tired of playing 'It Wasn't Me', which brought about a major life change for him. 'I was finally able to silence the detractors who thought I was wasting my life on this music nonsense and I also made my parents very proud,' he told the Jamaica Observer in 2023. 'I was able to travel the world and see places it's doubtful I would've seen otherwise. 'Over two decades later, I still get recognised [and] can't count the number of pictures I've taken and autographs I've signed for the nicest strangers you could ever meet … It's allowed me to basically retire and focus entirely on raising my beautiful family. Eternally grateful for that.' Meanwhile his sister, Sarah, says she is now living in poverty in London and that any cash from her dad's estate could transform her life. The former civil servant, who is now struggling to get back to work, said outside court: 'I am hurt by the whole thing and I've lost my whole family. "My dad died, but on the day he died I didn't think I would end up being in the position I am today going through all this heartache. I don't have a step-mother any more. 'This money would make a great difference in my life, I am on the breadline right now.'
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Singer who performed with Shaggy on hit song ‘It Wasn't Me' locked in bitter feud with penniless sister over £1m fortune
A SINGER who performed with Shaggy on hit song It Wasn't Me is locked in a bitter feud with his sister over a £1million fortune. Rickardo "Rik Rok" Ducent co-wrote the single, which clocked up over 1 billion plays on Spotify and was the best-selling single of 2001 in the UK. 6 6 6 But he is now battling Sarah Ducent on behalf of his mum Dorothy Ducent in a court battle for his dad Herbert's £900,000 fortune. Herbert was an entrepreneur who established a successful construction company in Jamaica, as well as running a thriving bakery business in Brixton. He left assets that included two neighbouring properties in Sydenham, South London, that were valued at around £900,000. His Jamaican assets have yet to be quantified in the UK courts, although Sarah claims he owned significant real estate on the island. Herbert's will, which was drawn up in Jamaica, named Rik Rok's mum, who had worked in the bakery, as his main heir and cut Sarah out. The singer, 52, claims his dad had become "estranged" from his daughter before he died 18 years ago. But Sarah, who says she is now living "on the breadline," has gone to court in a bid to secure "reasonable provision" from her dad's estate. Her team say this in line with the terms of the 1975 Inheritance Act as a dependant of her late father. But Sarah is facing a legal hurdle of proving Herbert was a legal resident in the UK at the time of his death - otherwise her claim could be struck out. Judge Ann Evans-Gordon will now have to decide whether the English courts have "jurisdiction" to deal with the claim or if it's a purely Jamaican issue. Giving evidence, Rik Rok was asked about his dad's life in Britain and Jamaica and his relationship with Sarah. Sarah's barrister Oliver Ingham suggested the star would have had little direct knowledge about what went on between the pair. But Rik Rok insisted he had lived with Sarah at times during his childhood in Jamaica and added: "My father and I were quite close so we talked about Sarah". He claimed his dad told him Sarah cut off contact with him when she moved to the UK for college. Rik Rok also told the court a family friend his sister was staying with had called up Herbert to complain about her "behaviour". He continued: "On his next trip to the UK, he confronted her about it and an argument ensued. "My father told me that she declared she wanted nothing more to do with him and he said 'are you sure that's what you want because if we're done we're done'." But Sarah insists she stayed close with Herbert and described him as a "brilliant man". The former civil servant, who is now struggling to get back to work, said: "I am hurt by the whole thing and I've lost my whole family. "My dad died, but on the day he died I didn't think I would end up being in the position I am today going through all this heartache. I don't have a step-mother any more. "This money would make a great difference in my life, I am on the breadline right now." The 1975 Inheritance Act covering Sarah's claim would only apply if Herbert was "domiciled" in the UK. Her barrister claimed there was solid evidence that Herbert, although Jamaica-born, wished to base himself in London. He also told the court the bakery owner's death was registered in the UK in 2007 a year after he renewed his British passport - suggesting he had recognised the UK as his domicile. Mr Ingham added: "Sarah Ducent asserts that the deceased, her late father, was domiciled - or had acquired domicile by choice - in the United Kingdom at the time of his death in 2007," he told the judge. "Her position is that the deceased spent extended periods residing in the UK, becoming increasingly involved in UK-based business ventures and investments, having family in the UK and owning property in England. "According to Sarah, Jamaica effectively became a secondary residence for the deceased, primarily visited for occasional business checks or leisure." But Dorothy's barrister, Jian Jun Liew, rebuked the idea that Herbert ever wanted to "anchor" himself to the UK in his latter years. She said that in 1983, he moved his entire family back to Jamaica after spending 20 years in London working at various trades. The judge has reserved her decision until a later date. Rik Rok previously told how his love of music was sparked by hearing his parents sing and said his dad was a "big reggae fan". The singer also said he never gets tired of playing "It Wasn't Me," which changed his life and left him "eternally grateful". 6 6
