Former Gold Coast Meter Maids boss Michael Yarwood and Will “the wrecker” Smith in court over disputed millions

THE struck-off lawyer accused of skimming the savings of an elderly businessman says he’s done nothing wrong and expects the explosive multimillion-dollar court battle will all blow over.

Michael Yarwood.

THE struck-off lawyer accused of skimming the savings of an elderly businessman says he’s done nothing wrong and expects the explosive multimillion-dollar court battle will all blow over.

Former Meter Maids general manager Michael Yarwood is suing Joseph William Smith, better known as “Will the Wrecker”, for almost $2 million, claiming the 81-year-old ripped him off.

But Mr Smith, who made $9 million selling most of his 5ha Reedy Creek wrecking yard to the State Government in 2016, has launched a counter legal attack — accusing Mr Yarwood of siphoning off his money for his own gain.

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Meter Maids surround Michael Yarwood for his 40th birthday.

Mr Smith says he’s out of pocket almost $5 million and alleges Mr Yarwood abused his position as power of attorney by diverting money from Mr Smith’s accounts to loans for the Meter Maids, traffic fines and a $3850 donation to Burleigh MP Michael Hart.

Court documents filed with Mr Smith’s claim include alleged transfers from his bank accounts to credit cards, vehicle purchases, gifts, airfares and “disguised payments” to various companies and individuals, including a young woman who was working in Mr Smith’s office.

Michael Yarwood and his wife Jacqui.

Mr Yarwood yesterday told the Gold Coast Bulletin he had evidence the payments were all authorised by Mr Smith and that he’d be tendering them in a 65-page response to the counterclaim.

“I think this might all die very quickly,” he said.

Mr Smith could not be contacted yesterday.

Mr Yarwood, whose wife Jacqui is in Melbourne with their baby son, said he had a solid case against Mr Smith.

Joseph William Smith, aka Will the Wrecker.

The court documents allege a young woman working in the wrecking yard office was paid more than $25,000 of Mr Smith’s money.

Mr Yarwood said allegations the woman was his “sugar baby” were untrue, but said she had lost her job because of “an inappropriate situation between her and I”.

“I am very much aware of my past failings. That simple fact alone is why my records and dealings are impeccable,” he said.

Among the alleged transactions from his account tendered to court by Mr Smith were $14,000 in loans to current Meter Maids boss Roberta Aitchison, who said Mr Yarwood was her friend.

“We’ve been broke since my husband got throat cancer,” she said.

“Michael leant us some money and we paid it back.

“It was just considered a quick loan to help us out.”

Joseph "Will the Wrecker" Smith with Meter Maids in happier times.

Mr Yarwood, who ran for election in the 2001 Gold Coast City Council elections, was struck off as a lawyer in 2015 following his conviction and jailing in 2011 for stamp duty fraud.

Mr Hart yesterday said he had no knowledge of receiving any funds from Mr Yarwood, Mr Smith or their companies, and there is no record of a donation of that amount being registered with the Electoral Commission of Queensland.

The Burleigh MP said he had “helped” Mr Smith negotiate the sale of his land to the State Government in 2016, but threatened to sue the Gold Coast Bulletin if his name was published in connection with the case, despite it appearing in the public court document.

Michael Yarwood appeared at the Gold Coast City Council Inquiry held at the Crime and Misconduct Commission, Brisbane in 2005.

In documents lodged with court, Mr Yarwood alleges Mr Smith engaged his help for development projects he had planned for several properties in the valuable portfolio he’d amassed over six decades.

He alleges the wrecker agreed to pay him a management fee equivalent to 15 per cent of the projects’ “development realisation value” plus GST.

Mr Yarwood’s claim says he also agreed to introduce Mr Smith to a tyre recycling concept and to give the wrecker an interest in a web platform he’d developed.

It says the property projects had a total realisable value of $16 million and that his management fees were thus worth $2.09 million. Of that figure, Mr Yarwood claimed $1,949,062 was outstanding.

Joseph "Will the Wrecker" Smith with a Meter Maids birthday cake. Photo: Supplied

Mr Yarwood’s statement said Mr Smith paid him $657,937 in fees and almost $20,000 in out-of-pocket expenses between January and May this year.

In a scathing defence and counterclaim, Mr Smith’s barrister Justin Mathews said the wrecker was not aware he’d paid Mr Yarwood those sums, and that the former lawyer had taken advantage of his client’s age and breached the Powers of Attorney Act.