'It Wasn't Me" Star Embroiled in £1M Court Battle Over Father's Estate With Half-Sibling

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The musician who collaborated with Shaggy on the famous song "It Wasn't Me" is now entangled in a fierce dispute over their father’s £1 million estate with his destitute half-sister.

Rickardo 'Rik Rok' Ducent, a British-Jamaican singer aged 52, is currently facing a legal dispute with his half-sister, Sarah Ducent, over her claim for a portion of their late father’s inheritance.

Herbert Duncent, who passed away at the age of 63 in 2007, bequeathed over £900,000 of his estate primarily to his wife, Dorothy Duncent, excluding their daughter, Sarah, with whom he had grown distant—a situation she refutes.

Herbert was an enterprising individual who founded a prosperous construction firm in Jamaica and also managed a flourishing bakery located on Coldharbour Lane. Brixton His property consists of holdings across various assets. London and Jamaica.

The legal fight at Central London County Court pits Sarah against Dorothy, Rik Rok's mother, who had worked alongside Herbert in his south London bakery business and inherited his wealth after his death 18 years ago.

Primarily, his English property comprised two adjacent estates in Peak Hill, Sydenham, with a combined value of approximately £900,000.

The value of his properties in Jamaica has not been determined by the UK courts, but Sarah says her dad had considerable real estate on the island.

Rickardo George Ducent, commonly known as Rik, was formerly involved in the legal disagreement and provided testimony in court to back up his mother's stance against her stepdaughter's assertion.

In his will created in Jamaica, Herbert designated his wife Dorothy as his primary beneficiary, excluding his daughter Sarah, with whom Rik says he had grown distant.

However, Sarah, who states she is currently surviving 'on the bare bones,' has taken legal action to ensure 'adequate provisions' from her father’s estate under the conditions of the 1975 Inheritance Act due to being a dependent.

However, if she is to succeed Sarah must first get over the legal hurdle of proving that her father was legally resident or 'domiciled' in the UK at the time of his death, with her claim liable to be struck out otherwise.

The key question for Judge Ann Evans-Gordon to now decide is whether the English courts have 'jurisdiction' to deal with the claim, or whether it's a purely Jamaican issue.

Even though Herbert passed away 18 years ago, Sarah’s lawsuit has faced numerous postponements. These hold-ups include difficulties in locating his initial will and a prior legal disagreement in the UK courts, which were resolved under the assumption that Herbert did not die without a will.

While testifying, Rik was questioned by Sarah's lawyer, Oliver Ingham, regarding his father’s experiences in both Jamaica and the United Kingdom as well as his connection to Sarah.

Rik observed that Herbert was involved in several business ventures throughout his life — among them the Brixton bakery, which he transformed into a very lucrative enterprise.

Questioning him regarding the dynamics of the father-daughter relationship, the lawyer proposed that Rik likely lacked significant firsthand insight into what transpired between them.

However, he maintained that he resided with Sarah occasionally throughout his upbringing in Jamaica and further stated: "My dad and I were fairly close, which allowed us to discuss matters related to Sarah."

"It isn’t accurate that upon departing Jamaica to attend university in the UK, she became distant from Herbert or severed ties with him," Mr Ingham countered.

That’s what he informed me," asserted Rik, additionally stating that the family acquaintance where Sarah was staying had contacted Herbert to "inform my dad about her conduct.

The singer stated, 'During his subsequent visit to the UK, he brought up the issue with her, which led to an altercation.'

My dad mentioned that she stated she wished to have no further involvement with him, and he responded by saying, 'Are you absolutely certain about this because once we’re finished, we’re really through?'

However, Sarah maintains that she and her father remained close throughout the years. She referred to him outside court as a 'remarkable person,' stating firmly, "I do not agree with the notion of any separation between us."

The 1975 Inheritance Act covering Sarah's claim would only apply if Herbert was 'domiciled' in the UK, but her barrister claimed there was solid evidence that Herbert, although Jamaica-born, wished to base himself in London, having built up strong family ties and business interests here.

'Sarah Ducent asserts that the deceased, her late father, was domiciled - or had acquired domicile by choice - in the United Kingdom at the time of his death in 2007,' he told the judge.

'Her position is that the deceased spent extended periods residing in the UK, becoming increasingly involved in UK-based business ventures and investments, having family in the UK and owning property in England.

'According to Sarah, Jamaica effectively became a secondary residence for the deceased, primarily visited for occasional business checks or leisure.'

He mentioned that Herbert's passing was recorded in the UK in 2007, just one year following the renewal of his British passport, indicating that he considered the UK to be his home country.

A delay of almost 17 years in his family’s assertion of Jamaican residency for Herbert implies a ‘change in stance driven by the lawsuit.’

'Sarah rejects the claim that the deceased permanently left the UK following a stroke in 1997,' he went on.

To conclude, the claimant humbly asks the court to rule that upon the individual’s demise, they had attained and maintained a chosen domicile within England and Wales.

The evidence shows that at the relevant time, the deceased's significant personal, financial, and family connections were mainly rooted in England and Wales.

However, Dorothy’s lawyer, Jian Jun Liew, countered the notion that Herbert aimed to ‘put down roots’ in the UK during his later life, emphasizing that in 1983 he relocated his whole family to Jamaica after residing in London for two decades where he worked in different occupations.

He contended that 'The move of Herbert’s complete family to Jamaica in 1983 aligns entirely with the idea that the deceased gave up their chosen domicile in England and Wales, acquiring instead a new chosen domicile in Jamaica.'

Following two days of hearings in court, the judge has taken time to consider her ruling on the matter.

In previous discussions, Rik, who spent time growing up in London and the countryside of Jamaica, has shared how his passion for music ignited after listening to his parents' singing. He credits his father, whom he describes as a devoted reggae enthusiast, as one of his inspirations.

In 2001, 'Rik Rok' penned the hugely successful number-one hit "It Wasn't Me," where he also lent his voice as the lead vocalist. This song has garnered more than a billion streams on Spotify and became the top-selling single of 2001 in the UK, with sales exceeding 1.15 million copies for that year.

In the lyrics, Rik bemoans being discovered 'in flagrante delicto' for cheating on his girlfriend, whereas Shaggy offers worldly-wise counsel, advising him to just confess with: 'It wasn’t me’.

The chart-topping song that claimed the top spot in ten nations helped establish Rik Rok’s identity as a solo artist, earning praise from reviewers for his ‘velvety’ vocal talents.

He has mentioned that he never grows weary of performing 'It Wasn't Me,' a song that caused significant alterations in his life.

"I finally managed to quiet those who believed I was squandering my life with this musical foolishness, and at the same time, I brought great pride to my parents," he shared with the Jamaica Observer in 2023.

'I managed to explore the globe and witness locations that might have remained unseen for me otherwise.'

More than twenty years later, I'm still recognized [and] have lost track of how many photos I’ve had taken and autographs I’ve handed out to the most wonderful people you could imagine. This has enabled me to step back from work completely and concentrate fully on nurturing my lovely family. Forever thankful for this opportunity.

At the same time, his sibling, Sarah, mentions that she currently resides in poverty in London and believes that any funds from their father’s estate could significantly improve her circumstances.

The ex-civil servant, currently finding it hard to secure employment again, stated outside the courthouse: "This entire situation has wounded me deeply, and I have also lost my entire family."

My father passed away, yet on the very day of his death, I never imagined I'd find myself in the situation I'm in now, dealing with all this pain. I no longer have a stepmother.

This cash could really turn things around for me; I'm barely getting by at the moment.

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