Millionaire murder trial: Forged will accused 'just helping a friend'

A woman accused of knowingly signing a forged will was "just helping a friend", a court has heard.

Shanda Robinson signed the document for beneficiary Lynda Rickard who denies the murder of Anthony Sootheran, a reclusive millionaire found dead at his home in Oxfordshire, in March 2014.

She told Reading Crown Court she had "no doubt" about Mrs Rickard's honesty when asked to witness a signature.

Mrs Robinson, 51, and two others deny fraudulently signing wills.

Mrs Rickard admits forging wills in the names of both Mr Sootheran and his mother, Joy, as well as spending tens of thousands of pounds of their money, the jury was previously told.

Giving evidence, Royal Mail manager Mrs Robinson said she had become "good friends" with Mrs Rickard over time after 2006 and would visit High Havens Farm where Mrs Rickard and her husband were live-in tenants of Mr Sootheran.

She said she could not remember the date when she signed the papers and whether Joy Sootheran and her nephew were present.

She told the court she recalled signing the back page of what she was told was Joy Sootheran's will, which already had the signatures of Joy Sootheran and another friend, June Alsford,

Mrs Robinson told the jury Mrs Rickard later provided her with a "script" to reply to a letter from solicitors raising concerns about the will.

"I had no cause to think it would be dishonest. She was a really good friend.

"Because I trusted her 100% she's put me in a position where I could lose everything," Mrs Robinson told the court.

Asked if she was "in cahoots" with Mrs Rickard to benefit from the will, she replied "no, definitely not".

Mr Sootheran's body was found at the farm near South Newington, Oxfordshire, in March 2014.

Lynda Rickard, 62, and her husband Wayne Rickard, 66, both from Banbury, deny murder.

As alternatives to the murder charge, Mrs Rickard denies gross negligence manslaughter, while her husband denies causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

They both deny fraudulently using Ms Sootheran's money to buy a Mitsubishi Shogun car.

Three of Mrs Rickard's friends, Mrs Robinson, 51, and Michael Dunkley, 49, from Banbury, and Denise Neal, 41, from Lower Tysoe, Warwickshire, deny fraudulently signing wills. However, another friend, June Alsford, 78, from Aynho, Northamptonshire, has admitted the charge.

Mr Rickard denies perverting the course of justice by attempting to pass off a will as genuine while Ms Robinson denies conspiring to do the same.

The trial continues.

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