Two years after his $17 million Lotto windfall, Mark Lipsham hired Kim Helmbright as his ‘financial, property and spiritual’ adviser. Three years further on, he was in court demanding she explain what happened to $2.8 million dollars he claims was supposed to be used to buy properties in his name. She says the money was payment for her services.
Court attention centred on a disputed Freelancing Agreement dated October 2019 which stated she would receive $2.8 million. Mr Lipsham alleges the date is forged. He did sign a document in December 2019, he says, but this was after the $2.8 million was handed over and the document was represented to him as recording payment for properties to be purchased in his name. The High Court was told Ms Helmbright purchased in her own name a $1.65 property at Waipapa in January 2020 and a $660,000 property at Okaihau in March 2020.
Mr Lipsham claims these properties were purchased with his money and that Ms Helmbright holds the properties in trust for him. Ms Helmbright was separately paid about $70,000 for her services, he says.
After a preliminary High Court hearing, Ms Helmbright was ordered to hand over for inspection: all relevant tax records; her correspondence with lawyers over the property purchases including her anti-money laundering disclosures as to source of funds; and any documentary proof of work done to justify a $2.8 million fee.
Also ordered to hand over electronic records relating to the disputed Freelancing Agreement, Ms Helmbright says the document was compiled on a laptop which she disposed of in early 2020 without keeping a backup. The court was told a template for the Freelancing Agreement exists on the documaticapublic website. Templates can be downloaded on payment of a fee. Ms Helmbright was ordered to disclose bank statements and credit card records to identify if and when she purchased the template.
Lipsham v. Helmbright – High Court (9.06.22)
22.100