Greek Australian Doctor Inherits Millions from Deceased Patient

A Greek Australian doctor is set to inherit millions from a patient’s will after a lengthy legal battle with the deceased man’s ex-business partner, friends and The Salvation Army.

According to The Daily Telegraph, this is the second time Dr. Peter Alexakis’ has been left money from a patient’s will, with the first occurrence seeing him take an entire $80,000 estate in 2005.

Two months prior to his death in 2017, Raymond McClure wrote two wills that left the bulk of his $27 million (US $17.64 million) estate to Alexakis.

The 83-year-old cancer patient’s previous beneficiaries launched legal action against the doctor, claiming he abused his position of trust by caring for and befriending an elderly man before he died.

The Daily Telegraph also reported that it was heard by the court that Dr Alexakis introduced McClure to the solicitor, Angelo Andresakis, who altered the will.

No evidence that Greek Australian doctor altered the will of his patient

Police investigations found there to be no foul play, and the judge rejected multiple claims by the previous beneficiaries that Alexakis committed fraud.

The judge found there to be no evidence against the Greek Australian doctor, therefore allowing him to collect $24 million.

McClure was never married and had no children and had originally left his will to his 40-year business partner Frank Camilleri, a long-time friend and her family as well as The Salvation Army.

Camilleri has launched a separate case against the GP in the NSW Supreme Court, with the doctor contesting that case too.

McClure made his money buying apartment blocks in western Sydney, renting them out and reinvesting the rental income in more apartments and his share portfolio.

In 2017, McClure became seriously unwell. Alexakis, who had known McClure for about four years, would describe him in court as the sickest patient he had ever treated.

McClure was in palliative care because of a variety of health problems, including diabetes, colorectal cancer that had metastasized, a bowel obstruction, prostate enlargement, cataracts and lymphedema.

Lindsay Ellison SC, for Alexakis, said the involvement of police and the Royal Prince Alfred hospital in investigating the circumstances surrounding the will while McClure was still alive meant he had plenty of opportunity to revise it or address concerns regarding the involvement of Alexakis.

“The undue influence was fairly raised well before his death and everyone had a go at determining whether there was undue influence in the relationship,” Ellison said.

Despite the suggestion that Alexakis was “some svengali or Rasputin who corrupted his mind”, McClure was not the type of man to be “easily influenced by anyone about anything”, and he expressly denied this influence before he died, Ellison said.