A lottery dispute between a former Chatham couple has taken another step toward a solution but don't expect an end anytime soon.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has been ordered to hand over $3-million to the court to be held until a final decision is made on who gets the money. Justice Gregory Verbeem released his decision on Friday after OLG lawyer James Doris argued in court August 20 that the fight is between Maurice Thibeault and his former live-in girlfriend Denise Robertson. The OLG wanted out of the dispute.
Robertson said she is the joint owner of the $6-million winning ticket from last September but Thibeault has denied any deal was ever made to split the prize.
Thibeault is also suing the OLG and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for at least $825,000, claiming they didn’t investigate the issue in a reasonable manner.
Thibeault was awarded $3-million by the OLG in December.
"We are very pleased that Justice Verbeem agreed with our position that it was inappropriate to pay the funds to Mr. Thibeault," said Robertson's lawyer Steve Pickard. "We can now commence discoveries which we anticipate to be complete by the end of the year. Then we will be prepared to send the matter to a jury trial."
Pickard anticipates that it will take another year to get before the jury because of the shortage of judicial resources.
"The Court found that Mr. Thibeault co-operated with OLG in every respect, including sitting down with investigators to answer questions; as well as offering to be examined by polygraph," said Richard Pollock, Thibeault's lawyer. "OLG decided not to interview Ms. Robertson. Mr. Thibeault believed it to be only fair that Ms. Robertson be required to do the same in connection with OLG’s statutory duty to investigate. The ruling makes clear that the issue of OLG and Ms. Robertson’s conduct in this investigation is left to be decided at trial."