Gold Coast doctor’s spiritual mentor loses lucrative will fight

The man who was fighting to claim the multimillion-dollar estate of a Gold Coast doctor who believed in aliens has lost his fight to have an informal will recognised.

The “spiritual mentor’’ of a Gold Coast doctor who believed in aliens has lost his bid to claim her rich estate assets after a judge dismissed his application, saying his case was “hopeless”. Leonardo Michael wanted the court to recognise one of two informal wills he claimed Dr Zung Vu made before her death, which left him all or half of her multimillion-dollar estate. But Justice David Boddice said Mr Michael had ignored all court orders and provided no evidence that Dr Vu, who died from a drug overdose, had the mental capacity to make either will.

Leonardo Michael.

Dr Zung Rosita Vu. Picture Facebook

Dr Vu, 53, died at home five weeks after Mr Michael, whom she called her “spiritual mentor’’, claims she produced a printed will and then a handwritten will, in his notebook, the next day.

Apart from her Gold Coast hinterland property, it was claimed by Mr Michael that Dr Vu also might have had more than $3.8 million worth of cryptocurrency, and other assets.

Mr Michael, whom Dr Vu claimed was an alien, has been living on her $1.16 million Mudgeeraba property Evermore, rent free, since her death in December, 2020.

Prudence Poole, a lawyer appointed administrator of the estate, claimed in an affidavit that Mr Michael had received at least $17,240 in rent from people living on Dr Vu’s property.

After hearing an application by barrister Caite Brewer, for Dr Vu’s mother, to dismiss Mr Michael’s application, Justice Boddice made the order.

He also ordered Mr Michael to file an affidavit about any estate money he had received, including rent from tenants on the property, and provide his bank statements.

Dr Vu was an integrative physician and naturopath who previously had a Robina clinic and

Mr Michael, who was born Sean Michael Innes, claims to have had a business and sexual relationship with her

The court heard of rituals performed with the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca on the property.

Dr Vu’s family had placed before the court notes Dr Vu wrote before her death, revealing her belief that she was controlled by aliens that she called greys or grays.

She also wrote of her need to surrender, submit and follow all of “Leo’s directions’’.

Text messages between Dr Vu and Mr Michael and emails, found by the doctor’s brother after her death, mentioned her conducting ceremonies with ayahuasca on her property.

In an email to a friend Dr Vu said she had learnt a lot about aliens and that Leo was totally connected to the aliens, who were directing him.

The case was to have gone to trial in April, but Mr Michael had failed to provide upfront court funds.

Justice Boddice said Mr Michael had not provided any satisfactory explanation for his lack of evidence about Dr Vu’s testamentary capacity and flagrantly disregarded court orders.

He said Mr Michael had a “hopeless case’’ for advancing the claim that either document represented Dr Vu’s informal will.

Dr Vu made a formal will in 1994 and Ms Brewer said Dr Vu’s mother, Kim Giao Vu, had become the sole beneficiary. The judge ordered a grant of probate of that will.

He ordered Mr Michael to pay all court costs for all proceedings.

“The family is relieved it is over and justice has been achieved for their much loved daughter and sister,’’solicitor John Sneddon of Shand Taylor Lawyers said.

Dr Vu’s family want an inquest into her death and police have been preparing a report for the coroner.