You wouldn’t expect the man who once inked punk rock legends and later fixed leaky pipes at Buckingham Palace to end up in the middle of a bitter courtroom fight—but here we are.

Dennis Cockell, a tattoo legend turned royal handyman, left behind more than just stories when he passed away in 2022.

He left behind a six-figure estate—and a long-lost daughter no one in his family knew about.

Now, what should’ve been a quiet winding down of his affairs has turned into a legal tug-of-war between his widow and a woman from Australia claiming to be his secret child.

A Widow, a Secret Daughter, and a £413,000 Inheritance

Dennis Cockell passed away at age 74, leaving behind £413,000.

His wife, Fong Yuet Cockell, who had five children with him, believed she was the sole heir.

That was until a woman named Cindylee Cockell stepped forward with DNA proof that she was Dennis’s daughter from a previous relationship.

Cindylee, 57, who lives in Sydney, filed a legal claim asking for a share of her late father’s estate.

Her argument? The grief of losing both her parents in quick succession has left her too emotionally and mentally drained to work.

Cindylee’s Story and Her Request

According to Cindylee, Dennis had made promises to support her financially and had even planned for her to move to London to work as a receptionist at one of his tattoo studios.

But with both her parents now gone, she says she’s battling depression and anxiety so severe that she’s unable to work.

She’s now asking for £42,500 plus one of her father’s original tattoo flash artworks—pieces that can be worth thousands on the collectors’ market.

The Widow Pushes Back

But Dennis’s widow, Fong, isn’t accepting the claim quietly.

Her legal team argues that Cindylee was never financially dependent on Dennis and had only visited him a few times in her life.

They say she’s capable of working and that there’s no solid proof she can’t provide for herself.

Fong is also dealing with her own struggles.

She’s registered as disabled, reportedly suffers from depression, and had to sell the family’s £900,000 house after Dennis died.

Her lawyers insist she now relies solely on what’s left of the estate to survive.

The Courtroom Clash Over Promises and Proof

The legal battle is playing out in London’s High Court, with both sides presenting very different narratives.

Cindylee’s team is leaning into emotional hardship and unfulfilled promises.

Meanwhile, Fong’s side says there’s no legal or moral obligation to give anything to someone who was barely part of Dennis’s life.

They stress that Dennis never acknowledged any ongoing responsibility for Cindylee, and that her claim doesn’t meet the legal bar needed to justify a payout.

From Tattoo Guns to the Queen’s Palace

Dennis Cockell’s life was anything but ordinary.

Originally from Worcester, he became famous in the 1980s for tattooing punk icons like The Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and Paula Yates.

He opened legendary tattoo parlours, including ‘Diamond Jack’s’ in Soho.

Later in life, he took on a surprising new job—working as a handyman at Buckingham Palace, earning £14,500 a year while helping maintain royal grounds.

His journey from tattooing rockstars to doing odd jobs for the monarchy only adds to the unique legacy now clouded by this family dispute.

What Comes Next?

With both sides digging in, it’s now up to the judge to weigh the emotional and financial claims.

The court’s decision, which is expected at a later date, could set an example for how hidden family ties and inheritance disputes are handled in the future.

In the meantime, the legacy of Dennis Cockell—a man who lived two lives—hangs in the balance.