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Home / New Zealand

Estate row over scientist Dr Jim Sprott's $5.7m Remuera house continues

By Chelsea Boyle
Chelsea Boyle is a reporter for the New Zealand Herald·NZ Herald·
27 Jan, 2020 09:30 PM2 mins to read

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Dr Jim Sprott. Photo / File

Dr Jim Sprott. Photo / File

The children of Dr Jim Sprott - a forensic scientist who helped free Arthur Allan Thomas from prison - are still fighting over the multi-million-dollar Auckland home he left behind.

Dr Sprott died in Auckland in 2014 at the age of 89 - leaving behind property and assets for his three children; Lindsay Hoeberechts, Adrian Sprott and Alison Sprott.

Over the course of nine years he had worked closely with journalist Pat Booth in the effort to clear Arthur Allan Thomas of the Crewe murders.

The Royal Commission of inquiry hailed Dr Sprott as more than any other man "responsible for the essential release of Mr Thomas".

The major asset of Dr Sprott's estate is his former home on Coombes Rd, Remuera, with a capital value [CV] of $5.7 million.

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It remains unsold despite the direction for sale in his will, according to the latest Auckland High Court judgment.

Hoeberechts contends her brother Adrian Sprott failed to list the property "within a reasonable time".

And further claimed he continued to benefit from his use of the Coombes Rd property for his personal and business use.

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She sought discovery of documents for the case.

Her two siblings would call this a wide-ranging "fishing expedition".

In the Auckland High Court decision from late last year, Associate Judge Peter John Andrew said there was clearly a "high level of mistrust" between them.

That simply reinforced the need to ensure Hoeberechts had full and proper access to the documents, to "ensure that she is not denied her right to hold Adrian to account".

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"Although the facts are yet to be assessed and determined at trial, on the face of the pleadings, there are very real questions as to why the property, some five and a half years after the death of Dr Sprott, has not been sold and provided no income during that time."

There had been "some tentative steps" by parties to resolve the outstanding matters.

Associate Judge Andrew granted Hoeberechts access to documents related to the sale, use and management of the Coombes Rd property, including that related to personal or business use.

"An executor has a duty not to benefit personally from an estate," he said.

He also found that the bank statements for Dr Sprott's estate should be discovered.

The matter remains ongoing in court and is set down to be heard again in March.

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