A lottery winner in the midst of a “messy divorce” transferred millions of pounds to his parents so his wife could not get her fair share, a court heard.
The man, who can only be identified as NJ, sent more than £8 million to his mother ’s bank account after his estranged partner brought divorce proceedings against him in 2018.
His mother then unsuccessfully attempted to transfer the cash outside the UK.
She asked bank staff for advice on setting up an offshore account in Pakistan, telling them her son wanted to “hide” the money.
The cash was not transferred as the court had earlier ordered it to be frozen.
The man, a Muslim, claimed that his wife, who can only be identified as HAJ, did not want anything to do with the money because gambling was considered “sinful” in Islam.
However, Judge Lady Wise rejected the claims and awarded the “credible and reliable” woman £4.8 million.
The Court of Session in Edinburgh heard that she plans to continue working as a nurse.
The man, who tried to claim state benefits after transferring his fortune, won more than £11 million in October 2015 on Euromillions.
In a written judgment, Lady Wise wrote: “It is rare in my experience for litigants to be exposed quite so devastatingly in an attempt to breach an order of court with a view to depriving another party of legitimate claims.
“She was straightforward in her evidence and illustrated an admirable determination to continue to pursue the work that she enjoys regardless of the financial outcome of this case.
“In stark contrast, the first defender was a most unsatisfactory witness. ”
