'She was like his daughter'

Killer farmer left £2.5m to manager of his local pub

- BY DAN WARBURTON

AFTER he was released from prison for shooting a teenage burglar, Tony Martin found himself with few friends in the world. But Jacqui Wadsley was one of them. As manager of his local pub, she developed a close bond with the farmer.

Soon, according to Jacqui’s husband David, the pair were like father and daughter. So much so that when Mr Martin died last February at the age of 80, he left her his entire estate, worth more than £2.5million.

Mr Martin’s only living relatives — his older brother Robin and his daughter, Mr Martin’s niece — will get none of the fortune, which consists of the infamous Bleak House farmhouse, 350 acres of land and property in Australia.

David said: “We only knew Tony as Tony, so Jacqui is actually still going through a grieving process. We all were very close to him. He became part of the family really. They were like father and daughter and with Tony dying it’s been emotional for her. With Tony’s history and past, he obviously had this media presence but she only saw him as Tony.’