An American couple who raised more than NZ$600,000 for a homeless man has been ordered to hand the money over after trying to keep some of it for themselves.
In November last year, Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for Philadelphia man Johnny Bobbitt, after Mr Bobbitt gave Ms McClure his last $20 for petrol.
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A social media post about the good deed went viral, and helped bring in more than 14,000 donations, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the homeless veteran, reports Time.
But after claiming Mr Bobbitt was spending the money on drugs, the pair allegedly decided to keep the rest for themselves, which Mr Bobbitt responded to with a lawsuit.
"I always felt like I was in a weird situation," said Mr Bobbitt. "I didn't want to be pressuring to get a lawyer or do anything because I didn't want to seem ungrateful."
Mr Bobbitt said he had received nearly a quarter of the money, which included vehicles bought by the couple in their name, but lawyers for Ms McClure and Mr D'Amico said he had actually received more than half.
Social media accounts for the couples showed new photos of holidays, trips to a Broadway show and new designer accessories.
The judge eventually sided with Mr Bobbitt, ordering the remainder of the money be turned over, according to The Washington Post.
Newshub.
