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Elderly Brothers Exploited: Minister and Businessman Accused of Abuse of Power
In a deeply troubling case that raises serious questions about the safeguards around lasting power of attorney (LPA), a minister, Reverend Ivan Warwick, and businessman Douglas Stewart have been accused of manipulating three elderly brothers into signing over control of their lives and finances.
Anne Wijayarathne
Associate Solicitor
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The brothers, all in their 70s and 80s and diagnosed with dementia, were unmarried and had no children. They lived in their family farmhouse for over 30 years. In what’s now being called a case of “grooming,” Warwick and Stewart convinced them to sign LPA documents, granting the two men complete control over their affairs. Within a year, the farmhouse was sold, and the brothers’ bank accounts were emptied. Yet when police investigated the matter in 2017, they concluded no crime had occurred – simply because the LPA gave them power and legal permission to act on behalf of the brothers. The case was closed without further action.
However, a later civil court case uncovered a very different story. It found that Warwick and Stewart had exerted undue influence over the vulnerable brothers and ordered them to repay more than £1 million they had taken.
Tragically, the brothers have since passed away. But to date, their surviving relatives have yet to see a single penny returned.
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