Co-star of Shaggy 'It Wasn't Me' hit anthem embroiled in legal battle over father's £1m estate
21 May 2025, 09:42 | Updated: 21 May 2025, 10:09
The co-star of Shaggy's popular 'It Wasn't Me' hit has been embroiled in a legal battle over his father's £1 million estate.
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Rickardo 'Rik Rok' Ducent co-wrote the 2001 pop anthem with dancehall artist Shaggy, singing the lead vocals on the track which topped number one in ten countries and exceeded a billion Spotify streams.
But now Mr Ducent, 52, is caught up in a tense legal battle with his half-sister, Sarah Ducent, who is claiming a share of their father's fortune.
Herbert Ducent died in 2007 at age 63 - he ran a bakery in Brixton, south London, and a construction firm in Jamaica.
The late Mr Ducent's estate in England involved two neighbouring properties in Sydenham - jointly valued at about £900,000.
Meanwhile, UK courts are yet to quantify his assets in Jamaica.
According to his will, Ducent Senior listed his widow, Dorothy, as the main heir - cutting out his allegedly "estranged" daughter, Sarah.
Ms Ducent claims she is now living "on the breadline" and has taken her claim to court to gain "reasonable provision" from her father's estate.
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Ms Ducent must prove that her father was legally "domiciled" in the UK at the time of his death.
This is because the 1975 Inheritance Act covering her claim would only apply if the late Mr Ducent was "domiciled" in the UK.
Mr Ducent told Ms Ducent's barrister, Oliver Ingham, that "My father and I were quite close so we talked about Sarah.”
He claims his father and Ms Ducent had become "estranged" following a family dispute.
“My father told me that she declared she wanted nothing more to do with him and he said ‘are you sure that’s what you want because if we’re done we’re done’.”
Ms Ducent rejected the claims, insisting that she remained close with the late Mr Ducent over the years.
Mr Ingham said Ducent Senior's passing had been registered in the UK in 2007 only a year following his renewal of his British passport - suggesting he had recognised the UK as his domicile.
Jian Jun Liew, Mr Ducent's barrister, rejected the notion that Ducent Senior ever wanted to "anchor" himself to the UK in his later years.
The judge has not yet delivered a ruling.
Speaking outside court, Ms Ducent, said: "I am hurt by the whole thing and I’ve lost my whole family.
“My dad died, but on the day he died I didn’t think I would end up being in the position I am today going through all this heartache. I don’t have a stepmother any more.
“This money would make a great difference in my life, I am on the breadline right now.”
