Battle for Australian artist John Olsen’s estate turns ugly in court
Australian artist John Olsen’s stepdaughter claimed neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo relieved her terminally-ill mother of confusion, allowing her to transfer her millions of dollars before she died, a court heard today. Mr Olsen is suing Karen Mentink over claims she pressured his wife to give her money before her death.
The stepdaughter of legendary Australian artist John Olsen has claimed in court that surgery by celebrity brain surgeon Charlie Teo relieved her mother of confusion, allowing her to transfer her millions of dollars before she died.
Olsen is suing his stepdaughter Karen Mentink over claims she pressured her “vulnerable” and terminally ill mother Katharine Howard-Olsen to transfer the money shortly before she died of cancer.
The 91-year-old wants the money back from Ms Mentink, who he alleges involved herself in the financial affairs of his wife, 88, while she was “cognitively impaired” during the final months of her life.
While giving evidence in the third day of the hearing at Moss Vale Court, Ms Mentink said her mother was confused, didn’t know where she was, what day it was, wasn’t eating or sleeping after tumours were found in her brain on June 12, 2012.
“By confusion I mean not knowing where you are, what’s happening, what’s going on, what day it was but importantly what was happening,” she said.
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She said her mother’s condition improved after surgery by Dr Teo and she was discharged from hospital on August 15, 2016.
“Within three days from coming home she had thrown away the walker and she was walking further and further each day,” she said.
“If she wanted to go see the manicurist I would take her, if she wanted to go to the hairdresser I would take her, if she wanted to go to the doctor I would take her.
“She was instructing me.
“That’s what I mean by she wasn’t confused, she was running the show and I was just following along doing the things she couldn’t do.
“(In regards to her confusion) on some occasions she was perfectly OK. There were good days and bad days, good periods and bad periods.”
Ms Mentink said more tumours were found in her mother’s brain in early October 2016 and she died in December that year.
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