OMEN
08-27-2006, 08:12 PM
Television personality Louise Wallace is embroiled in a decades-old family feud as her cousins make a high court bid for her family's millions.
Wallace's cousins, Richard and Geoffrey Cain, are each suing Wallace's family company DR Hooper Ltd for $2 million.
Wallace, her sister Rosamond Torrance and their mother Leona Hooper are directors of the company.
Wallace is best known on television as host and former competitor in Celebrity Treasure Island and from 2001 when she became the waspish quiz mistress on The Weakest Link.
The Cain brothers say they have been cut out of nearly every will and testament in the wealthy family over the years. Now they are battling for control of their entrepreneur grandfather George Cain's engineering empire. Their case, filed last month, will go back to the Auckland High Court later this year. Torrance says their cousins are no-hopers; drug addicts who have been to prison. She did not want to comment further.
"It's private business. It's a private company; it's not in the public domain and if your newspaper doesn't want to see some sort of litigation leave it," she said.
Geoffrey Cain says the brothers' 1985 drug convictions were related to "that whole homebake scene".
The pair served three months of a six- month sentence in Ohura Prison for conspiracy to manufacture drugs.
Grandfather George Cain built, owned and ran Cain Steel Industries - one of Auckland's biggest employers and responsible for Auckland's tank farm.
Louise Wallace's father Desmond Russell Hooper, was employed as a general manager after marrying Cain's daughter, Leona. Leona's brother, also called Desmond, and the father of Richard and Geoffrey, was a director.
Amid court battles, Desmond Hooper eventually took over the business.
The Hooper family lived in Auckland's prestigious Paritai Dr.
Desmond Cain lived with his sons Richard and Geoffrey, their mother Betty and sister Deborah in Kohimarama.
"We were brought up in a life of opulence and swimming pools," said Geoffrey Cain.
The brothers' life changed when their father left the family for his secretary, Beverly Monk, whom he later married.
"We've lived without money for all these years," said Geoffrey Cain.
George Cain's first wife died in 1969 leaving $1m each to Louise and her sister. They also received shares in the family company.
Strings of pearls, crystal, Wedgwood and Royal Worcester pottery, rings and bracelets were also bequeathed to the pair.
Geoffrey and Richard's sister Deborah got $2000, the inner string of Edith's pearl necklace and an Italian lamp.
The brothers got nothing.
When George Cain died in 1979 he left nearly everything to his second wife Maria.
The brothers got nothing.
When Louise's father Desmond Hooper died in 1991 he left $1m each to Louise and Rosamond, the rest to his wife Leona.
Again, the Cain brothers got nothing.
Geoffrey and Richard sued their father last year but he became ill and died, leaving everything to the family trust of his second wife.
"We just want some answers," says Geoffrey Cain.
Torrance said Wallace refused to comment.
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Wallace's cousins, Richard and Geoffrey Cain, are each suing Wallace's family company DR Hooper Ltd for $2 million.
Wallace, her sister Rosamond Torrance and their mother Leona Hooper are directors of the company.
Wallace is best known on television as host and former competitor in Celebrity Treasure Island and from 2001 when she became the waspish quiz mistress on The Weakest Link.
The Cain brothers say they have been cut out of nearly every will and testament in the wealthy family over the years. Now they are battling for control of their entrepreneur grandfather George Cain's engineering empire. Their case, filed last month, will go back to the Auckland High Court later this year. Torrance says their cousins are no-hopers; drug addicts who have been to prison. She did not want to comment further.
"It's private business. It's a private company; it's not in the public domain and if your newspaper doesn't want to see some sort of litigation leave it," she said.
Geoffrey Cain says the brothers' 1985 drug convictions were related to "that whole homebake scene".
The pair served three months of a six- month sentence in Ohura Prison for conspiracy to manufacture drugs.
Grandfather George Cain built, owned and ran Cain Steel Industries - one of Auckland's biggest employers and responsible for Auckland's tank farm.
Louise Wallace's father Desmond Russell Hooper, was employed as a general manager after marrying Cain's daughter, Leona. Leona's brother, also called Desmond, and the father of Richard and Geoffrey, was a director.
Amid court battles, Desmond Hooper eventually took over the business.
The Hooper family lived in Auckland's prestigious Paritai Dr.
Desmond Cain lived with his sons Richard and Geoffrey, their mother Betty and sister Deborah in Kohimarama.
"We were brought up in a life of opulence and swimming pools," said Geoffrey Cain.
The brothers' life changed when their father left the family for his secretary, Beverly Monk, whom he later married.
"We've lived without money for all these years," said Geoffrey Cain.
George Cain's first wife died in 1969 leaving $1m each to Louise and her sister. They also received shares in the family company.
Strings of pearls, crystal, Wedgwood and Royal Worcester pottery, rings and bracelets were also bequeathed to the pair.
Geoffrey and Richard's sister Deborah got $2000, the inner string of Edith's pearl necklace and an Italian lamp.
The brothers got nothing.
When George Cain died in 1979 he left nearly everything to his second wife Maria.
The brothers got nothing.
When Louise's father Desmond Hooper died in 1991 he left $1m each to Louise and Rosamond, the rest to his wife Leona.
Again, the Cain brothers got nothing.
Geoffrey and Richard sued their father last year but he became ill and died, leaving everything to the family trust of his second wife.
"We just want some answers," says Geoffrey Cain.
Torrance said Wallace refused to comment.
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