Later that day, there was a stark turnaround in his fortunes. More than $160,000 was transferred into his account, courtesy of wealthy media mogul Bruce Gordon's regional television company WIN Corporation. It was the third such payment in three months. In mid-June, 2016, Mr Gordon's private company Birketu deposited $570,500 in his account, and at the end of August WIN Corporation transferred $360,000. Within days of each payment, the Bond University alumnus would channel tens of thousands of dollars to betting agencies. After the first Birketu payment, he transferred $20,000 to TAB Limited. On September 20, 2016, he made three payments to betting agency Sportsbet, totalling $159,000. The former lawyer was sacked from Atanaskovic Hartnell on September 28 last year after he instructed his lawyer, Sydney barrister George Thomas, to tell the firm he had reported his own conduct to the NSW fraud squad. Birketu and WIN Corporation claim Mr Clarke siphoned off the funds by claiming they were for legitimate expenses such as land tax.

The companies are suing Mr Clarke in the NSW Supreme Court for the return of the funds. He has also been charged with eight criminal offences of obtaining financial advantage by deception, totalling $9.75 million. In documents filed in the Supreme Court, WIN and Birketu say Mr Clarke has "by way of admission of liability or otherwise ... refunded some of the monies misappropriated", including one payment of more than $2 million. They are seeking $1 million plus interest. The companies are also asking the court to order that Mr Clarke indemnify them against any loss if Deutsche Bank comes knocking for two payments it made into Mr Clarke's Westpac account in August and September 2017, totalling almost $7 million. Those payments were allegedly connected to a Birketu loan facility. Atanaskovic Hartnell, which is not implicated in any wrongdoing, acted for Birketu in its high-profile Supreme Court battle last year for control of Network Ten. Mr Gordon's companies say Mr Clarke "worked on a number of" their legal matters. On September 29 last year, the Supreme Court issued urgent freezing orders to prevent Mr Clarke dissipating the funds in his Westpac and betting accounts pending the civil action by Birketu and WIN Corporation.

However, the orders allowed him to withdraw $100 a day for living expenses as well as to pay all "reasonable legal expenses". Westpac initially allowed those amounts to be paid but halted payments in December. Mr Clarke has asked the Supreme Court to order that the payments continue, a move vigorously opposed by Birketu and WIN Corporation on the basis the money is not his. On Friday, Justice Peter Garling said there was a "strong prima facie case" Mr Clarke obtained the funds in his account by fraud and had "no legal or moral right to spend the money". He reserved his judgment on whether Mr Clarke should be permitted to access the funds.