Colleen McCullough: The Thorn Birds author ‘not coerced’ over will

Colleen McCullough Image copyright Getty Pictures Image caption Colleen McCullough used to be certainly one of Australia’s easiest-promoting novelists

The widower of Australian writer Colleen McCullough has been granted keep watch over of her multi-million buck property after a sour courtroom dispute.

McCullough, who died in 2015, used to be very best identified for her 1977 world highest-promoting novel The Thorn Birds.

On Friday, a court in Sydney ruled that she had supposed to leave her estate to her husband, Ric Robinson, and never a US university.

The dispute had concentrated on two competing wills.

In its ruling, the Preferrred Courtroom Of New South Wales discovered that Mr Robinson had now not coerced his wife into signing a brand new will within the closing months of her life.

Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Image caption Colleen McCullough and her husband Ric Robinson in 2000

During The trial in May, the court heard that McCullough had got rid of her husband from the primary will after discovering he had a mistress. The couple in brief separated in June 2014.

Ms Anthony alleged that the writer, affected by poor health, were coerced into signing the second one will via Mr Robinson.

But Mr Robinson denied ever pressuring McCullough, his wife of more than 30 years, and stated she had licensed of his affair.

What did the court find?

Justice Nigel Rein ruled that in creating the brand new will in October, McCullough meant to go away her estate to her husband.

He found that Ms Anthony “had no longer established that Mr Robinson had coerced Dr McCullough into signing the ones documents”.

Lawyers for Mr Robinson stated he used to be happy that “his and Colleen’s reputations had been restored”.

McCullough wrote 25 novels. Her most famous, The Thorn Birds, offered greater than 30 million copies and became successful television drama.

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