The "lion man" Craig Busch was back in court in Whangarei today seeking to get back control of his wildlife park.
Busch alleges his mother Patricia Busch has overstepped her authority in sidelining him from the business he built up.
His lawyer, Wayne Peters, told the High Court that Busch agreed to let his mother take over in 2006 after a period of personal difficulty, Radio New Zealand reported.
Busch was convicted in 2006 of seriously assaulting his then-wife.
Mrs Busch raised a loan of more than $1 million to repay Mr Busch's company and personal debt.
In exchange, she was given power of attorney, sole directorship and her son's shares in the company.
Mr Peters says it was always agreed that Mr Busch would repay the loan and take back control of the park.
