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The estate of a legendary tattoo artist who became the Queen's handyman is at the centre of an inheritance court fight between his widow and his "secret" daughter in Australia.
Dennis Cockell operated from his "Diamond Jacks" studio in Soho and made himself the go-to tattooist in the London music scene of the 1980s, inking stars including Adam Ant and members of The Sex Pistols, Stray Cats and Bananarama.
He retired from tattooing in 2007 after taking on a second career as a handyman at Buckingham Palace, but carried on making guest appearances at studios up until his death in 2022 at the age of 74.
But the £413,000 estate he left behind is now at the centre of a High Court tug of war between his wife and mother of five of his children, Fong Yuet Cockell, 65, and a daughter in Australia whom his wife had no idea existed.
Fong only learned of 57-year-old Cindylee Cockell's existence when she filed a claim for "reasonable provision" from Dennis' estate, before proving he was her dad through DNA testing.
Cindylee now claims she needs a payout because the "overwhelming grief" of his death and that of her mother shortly afterwards has rendered her so depressed and anxious she is unable to work.
She is suing her dad's widow, who inherited all of the tattoo legend's wealth, and her half-sister Natalie Fong Cockell, as executor of his estate, seeking £42,500 plus a valuable sheet of her dad's tattoo flash worth thousands.
But the widow is fighting the claim, denying that Cindylee is so grief stricken that she can't support herself financially by working and claiming that she could be forced to sell her home if she is ordered to make the payout her husband's daughter wants.
Originally from Worcester, Dennis Cockell shot to fame in 1980s London after tattooing stars including The Sex Pistols Steve Jones, TV presenter Paula Yates and punk rockers 999 and Adam Ant.
His first London studio was on Finchley Road and he later set up "Diamond Jack's" in Soho close to the Raymond Revue Bar.
He married wife Fong in 1982 and the pair had five children, setting up home together in a £900,000 house in Mill Hill, north London.
As his tattoo career reached its twilight, Dennis took on another role as an "odd-job man at Buckingham Palace" during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the widow's barrister Nicholas Michael told the judge, Deputy Master Timothy Bowles, being paid £14,500 a year for his efforts towards the upkeep of the Royal estate.
But unknown to his wife, he had a child already from a previous relationship, Cindylee, who London's High Court was told claims he had promised to move from Australia to London and support financially prior to his death.
Giving evidence via a videolink from Sydney, Australia, where she lives, Cindylee told the judge that she had been two years old when she learned that Dennis was her dad.
She had visited him in London four times before his death and the pair had made plans that she would move to the city and be employed by him at £23,000 a year in one of his tattoo parlours as a receptionist once her three children had finished school, she said.
She had formerly worked as a nanny and a PA but is now on "Australian Jobseekers Allowance" having been signed off by her doctor as incapable of working for "years" due to severe "anxiety and depression," which she says was triggered by the death of Dennis followed shortly by that of her mother a few months later.
She told the judge that she needs the money from her dad's estate because he promised to support her, is incapable of looking after herself by working at the moment and has "exhausted" her savings.
"The death of my father and mother had a devastating effect on my day to day life," she told the judge. "I have anxiety and depression which have been exacerbated by overwhelming grief."
But Mr Michael, for Dennis' widow, denied she is incapable of work and also insisted the estate owes her nothing.
He said that Fong had been forced to sell the £900,000 house she shared with Dennis because she could not afford to keep it on after his death and the expenses of downsizing have left £413,000 in the estate which she now needs all of to live.
"Fong is registered disabled and suffers depression," he said. "She is too old now to work.
"Fong, who is the sole beneficiary, was in a long marriage with the deceased and they were dependent on a joint income and latterly on the deceased’s pension.
"Fong's income is plainly inadequate and does not match her needs. A successful claim would force Fong to sell her home.
"The deceased had no obligations and responsibilities towards Cindylee, but was married to Fong and she depended on the deceased financially and emotionally.
"Fong was unaware of Cindylee prior to the claim and required her to prove that she is the biological daughter of the deceased.
"Cindylee is an adult who is either in work or is capable of finding work and in fact working and there is no cogent or reliable evidence to suggest otherwise.
"It is apparent that Cindylee is able to sustain her station in life via the benefits she receives, and there is no cogent or reliable evidence to suggest otherwise.
"Cindylee's financial resources match her financial needs. It is averred that even if Cindylee suffers from depression/anxiety, this does not prevent her from working.
"Cindylee was estranged from the deceased until she was eight. After that she only met him on a few sporadic occasions and she has never been financially dependent on the deceased.
"Cindylee has failed to satisfy the test...that the provision was necessary for her maintenance to enable her to discharge the cost of her daily living at the standard appropriate to her.
"The claim should be dismissed."
The judge is expected to reserve his decision in the case until a later date.
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