FURTHER FAMILY FALLOUT FROM LOTTO WIN
Second relative seeks bigger slice of jackpot
THE Lotto syndicate leader ordered to pay €565,000 to her stepson after failing to split a €3.4million jackpot equally is being sued again.
Hairdresser Mary Walsh is now being sued by married father-of-two Kevin Black, her late husband’s nephew, for an equal slice of the action, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal.
The fresh legal action is the latest twist in the extraordinary family war over a heavily disputed winning Lotto ticket that was co-signed by six people including Mrs Walsh’s stepson David Walsh and his first cousin Mr Black.
Having collected the €3.38million winnings in January 2011, Mrs Walsh, 66, chose not to distribute equal €564,956 shares among the group that included her husband Peter who died of cancer later that year.
Instead, she gave €100,000 to Mr Black, a sum of €300,000 to her son Jason and about €456,000 to her other son Anthony. She gave nothing to her 52-year-old painter and decorator stepson David Walsh, of Knocknagreana, Ballinasloe, claiming she had ‘reservations’ about him.
This February, Mr Walsh won a €564,965 court order against his stepmother after a sevenday hearing. Now Mr Black is taking her to court, raising the prospect of further court claims by family members.
None of the family members who originally signed the ticket, including Mrs Walsh’s own two sons, ever received a full one-sixth share.
Lottery syndicates expert Karl Jennings, author of Your Lottery Syndicate Book, said Mrs Walsh could ultimately be ordered by the courts to give equal shares to everyone who signed the back of the ticket, including her two sons.
Mr Jennings told the Mail: ‘Mr Black’s action could make the others focus on seeking equal shares too. ‘This is heavy family stuff.’ The case will heap further pressure on Mrs Walsh who is already at risk of losing the Galway mansion she bought with part of the winnings.
This weekend, Mr Black’s Athlone-based solicitor Tony McLynn of law firm T & N McLynn told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘We have issued proceedings and we intend to pursue the matter for our client.’
The ruling in Mr Walsh’s case in February effectively set a guideline that Lotto syndicates should share winnings equally.
Mr Black will hope to win his case on the back of Mr Walsh’s victory.