Sister of man who murdered their mum hails change in will executor law

A new law that will allow murderers to be prevented from being executors of their victim’s will has been given royal assent.

The move has been welcomed by a family from Fife who have been campaigning for the change to be implemented.

Ross Taggart was given a life sentence with a minimum jail term of 18 years after he attacked and strangled his mother, Carol, and hid her body underneath a caravan just a few days before Christmas 2014.

Despite Taggart’s conviction he remained in charge of dealing with Carol’s estate, causing further grief for her daughter, Lorraine.

“I don’t really know how I feel right now, I think I’ve numbed myself to it all,” Lorraine told STV News.

“It was a case of always fighting to try and change this law and help other people – I’ve not actually let it fully sink in. I hope I can move on and join my family. But to know that I’ve helped in a good way, I think brings a little bit of closure, it has to.”

Taggart was ultimately found guilty of murdering his mum and given a life sentence.

But as the executor of Carol’s will, while he couldn’t benefit financially, he was able to obstruct the process of dealing with her estate.

That included preventing her daughter – his sister – gaining access to the house and personal possessions.

Lorraine said: “Ross has control of the estate, everything that my mum owned and everything that my mum had, so he got to deal with everything – even down to the little things.”

Now the Trusts and Succession Scotland Act has become law, which will mean someone who is named as an executor can be removed if they’re convicted of murdering the person who left the will.

Lorraine is now consulting a solicitor over the process of having Taggart removed as an executor.