A Central London County Court judge has awarded Jenna Howe, the daughter of the late radio pioneer Roger Howe, a £125,000 payout from her father’s estate. The settlement comes after Jenna, a 37-year-old beautician, was cut out of her father’s £1.4 million will three years before his death in March 2020. Roger Howe, who amassed his fortune primarily through his radio engineering company, BW Broadcast FM, left his estate to his mother, sister, and two nephews.
The court heard that Roger and Jenna had a toxic relationship, with Roger consistently belittling her during her youth, calling her names, and taunting her about her weight. Jenna’s barrister, James McKean, disclosed that her traumatic childhood led to troubling body dysmorphia and urged the judge to award her cash to cover the costs of cosmetic surgery to replace her breast implants. Where Jenna suffers from body dysmorphia, a payment to replace her breast implants is an investment in her physical and mental health and wellbeing,” he argued.
Judge Mark Raeside ruled that the estate should pay Jenna £125,000 to help improve her circumstances.
Daughter wins payout from father’s estate
This includes a £75 weekly maintenance payment for the next ten years plus funds to cover other needs like clearing debts and replacement breast implants.
“Throughout her life, she has been self-conscious about her body, and I am quite satisfied that this should be paid for by the estate,” said Judge Raeside, adding, “She has had a body problem ever since she was a young child.”
Jenna testified about her troubled childhood, recounting how her father’s constant belittlement and mockery regarding her weight led to her developing an eating disorder. “He was really nasty about my weight, calling me names, and was horrible to me,” she said. Judge Raeside noted that Jenna’s finances were precarious, with her burdened by heavy debts left over from a previous court clash with her relatives.
Due to the effects of her mental condition, full-time work had become nearly impossible for her. Roger Howe, who started building transmitting equipment at age eight and created state-of-the-art technology for both commercial and military applications, left a tumultuous legacy marked by a fraught and volatile relationship with his daughter. Jenna’s barrister summarized: “Roger’s conduct weighs heavily in this case.”