Sunshine Coast family’s dispute over $1m TattsLotto winnings in court

A family drama over nearly $1m in TattsLotto winnings has played out in a Brisbane court, with family members on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast labelling the saga “tragic” and “terrible”.

William John Bampton had his claim for a $300,000 payment to his daughter set aside dismissed by the Brisbane District Court.

A Sunshine Coast family’s dispute over nearly $1m in lotto winnings has played out in a Brisbane court and led to one member labelling the money a “tragic Lotto story” after he lost contact with his dad.

A Brisbane District Court judgement showed that in March 2018, 92-year-old Twin Waters resident William John Bampton received $986,212.30 in TattsLotto winnings and later that month paid a deposit of about $50,000 to buy a four-bedroom Mountain Creek home in co-ownership with his son, Larry Bampton.

The father later paid $505,030 to complete the purchase of the property.

In August 2018, he made a payment to his daughter, Gold Coast resident Suzanne Elaine Vourlides, of $300,000.

Larry Bampton says his family’s “tragic Lotto story” has played out in a Brisbane court.

It was this payment to his daughter that Mr Bampton wanted to have set aside.

He wanted “a declaration that he was induced to make the transfer by way of a gift by Mrs Vourlides’ undue influence or unconscionable conduct.”

Mr Bampton alleged there was an argument between him and his daughter in early August 2018 and “as a consequence of that and the behaviour of his daughter during it” the 92-year-old felt “overwhelmed” and with no alternative but to pay her the money.

A family dispute over nearly $1m in Lotto winnings came before a Brisbane court.

“Mrs Vourlides’ case is that her father gifted to her the sum of $300,000 at his own instigation and in the exercise of his own free will,” the court documents stated.

The 39-page finding handed down by Judge Suzanne Sheridan in December 2023 said “a great deal of evidence” was presented by both parties.

The court documents stated “for the purposes of the hearing” Mr Bampton did not have a dementia diagnosis.

Judge Sheridan dismissed Mr Bampton’s claim and stated she would make orders for costs unless the parties could agree on them.

‘ONE OF THE TRAGIC LOTTO STORIES’

When contacted about the case, Mrs Vourlides said the matter was “bound up” in losing her family.

“At the end of the day, I’m over it, quite frankly, it’s destroyed people’s lives,” she said.

“The whole thing is terrible.”

Her brother, Larry, a Sunshine Coast resident, said that his father had stopped talking to him and he wished his dad had never won the money.

“No one’s a winner out of this, it just destroys everyone in the family,” he said.

“The worst thing that ever happened was that he won the million dollars.

“One of the tragic lotto stories, I think.”

When contacted by this publication, Mr Bampton said he intended to appeal the court’s decision and that there was no winnings left.