Jon Campbell-Vercarto, pictured with his wife Julie, is fighting the Catholic church over his mother's estate. He says she was not in a sound enough state of mind to change her will late in life
A son is taking legal action after his 'vulnerable' mother left her entire estate to her church, having changed her will with just months to live.
Carmela Vencato, 82, changed her will shortly before she died, bequeathing her entire £250,000 estate to St James the Less and St Helen Catholic Church in Colchester.
But the pensioner's only son, Jon Campbell-Vercarto, claims his mother was not of sound mind when she altered her will before her death last month.
He is arguing that his mother struggled with English, had a long history of illness including a stroke and could not understand her finances.
Father-of-two Mr Campbell-Vercarto, 58, was not told about the changes, made in November 2018, and initially hoped a compromise could be found with the Catholic Diocese of Brentwood.
He said: 'My mother had a history of illness over the years compounded by a stroke, which left her in poor health and vulnerable whereshe needed care and close supervision.
'Her personal finances were in a muddle, she struggled with written English, could barely write and police records of two incidents at her home witnessed by neighbours clearly underlines she was not in a correct state of mind to make important decisions.'
As it stands, the church stand to get all of the £250,000 from her house in Colchester
Mr Campbell-Vercarto, a devout Roman Catholic, has held discussions with the church to try and come to an arrangement where he and his family, which includes his two disabled sons, Adam, 26,
