High Court Refuses Family Bids for Temporary Control of Asot Michael’s Estate

The estate of slain St Peter’s MP Asot Michael remains in limbo after the High Court rejected competing efforts by his son and sisters to secure temporary control of his assets.

In a recent ruling, Justice Nicola Byer dismissed applications from Nigel Michael, the late politician’s only son, as well as from his aunts Teresa-Anne and Soraya Michael. Both sides had requested a special grant known as ad colligenda bona, which would have allowed them to manage the estate until the court resolves an ongoing dispute over Michael’s will.

Michael, who served as MP for St Peter for two decades, was discovered dead at his Dry Hill home on November 5, 2024. Alexta Francis, has been charged with his murder.

At the center of the estate battle is a will signed in March 2021. Nigel Michael claims the document is invalid, alleging his father was heavily intoxicated and lacked the mental capacity to make sound decisions when he signed it. His aunts, however, insist the will is legitimate and reflects their brother’s true wishes.

Justice Byer concluded that neither side had proven the kind of urgent circumstances required to justify emergency court intervention. “The evidence did not meet the threshold of any matter that needed to be dealt with to prevent waste or dissipation of the assets of the estate,” she wrote.

The judge added that both sides appeared more focused on preventing each other from accessing the estate than on safeguarding its assets.

Although Nigel failed in his bid for temporary control, the court did allow him to proceed with his broader challenge to the will’s validity, despite a delay in filing some documents. His attempt to add new claims concerning lapsed gifts was denied, however.

The sisters also won part of their request to strike out sections of Nigel’s filings, with the judge removing paragraphs deemed irrelevant or improperly raised.

The dispute, which pits the late MP’s only son against his siblings, is expected to drag on as the court weighs conflicting claims about Michael’s mental state, his struggles with alcoholism, and the proper handling of his estate.