Resolution reached in $17 million Lotto winner's property dispute with woman

Mark Lipsham, who won big on Lotto in 2017, then gave nearly $3million of it to a woman he met two years later, says a property dispute between the pair is over. Photo/NZME

A dispute between $17million Lotto winner Mark Lipsham and a woman he claimed spent $2.8million of his winnings on properties for herself, looks set to be resolved outside of court.

Lipsham and Kim Helmbright, who say their eight-month relationship between October, 2019 and May, 2020 was purely professional, have issued a statement in response to an Open Justice story published today about a dispute over money spent on two properties.

The statement, released by Matt Blomfield who is a trustee of Lipsham's family trust and said was issued on behalf of the pair, said they had reached a resolution, the terms of which are confidential and that they will not comment further.

A High Court judge recently granted Lipsham's application for Helmbright to produce a range of documents he claimed would prove she spent $2.8million he gave her to buy real estate for him on buying properties for herself.

Lipsham allegedly gave Helmbright the money on December 2, 2019 – about two months after engaging her to provide what the court described as a range of "financial, property, personal and spiritual" services. He said he had already paid her $70,000 for those services and the $2.8 million was for properties for him.

Helmbright claimed all the money she received from Lipsham was for the services, as per a freelancing agreement Lipsham signed in October 2019, and therefore hers to do with whatever she wished.

Evidence produced in court showed the agreement was either cobbled together by Helmbright from examples she saw on the internet or bought from an online site for US$29.95 ($48).

Lipsham did not deny signing the agreement but disputed the date on it, suggesting Helmbright backdated it.

The case is still scheduled to be called again in the High Court at Whangārei on August 16 but that date is listed as "tentative and not confirmed".

Property records show Lipsham has placed a caveat over two properties Helmbright allegedly bought using his $2.8m - one at Waipapa near Kerikeri, for $1,675,000 in January 2020, and one at Okaihau, near Kaikohe, for which she paid $660,000 in March 2020.

The caveat prevents Helmbright from selling or transferring them.