At some point in our lives, each of us has imagined what we would do if we won the lottery.
And while for many of us that dream will not come true, for others it has gone from a dream to a reality.
A lucky British ticket holder has just won an incredible £184million EuroMillions jackpot on Tuesday May 10, becoming the UK’s biggest National Lottery winner.
READ MORE – These 16 photos show how Edinburgh‘s Haymarket has changed since the 1960s
Not only does this mean their bank account will contain a handsome sum, but it also means they will become richer than Ed Sheeran whose net worth is £160m – and the legendary Sir Tom Jones is said to have a fortune of £165 million.
According to the Mirror, around six thousand people in the UK have become millionaires through the lottery and many are living their best lives.
However, others ended up wishing they had never bought a ticket in the first place.
As reported by shimmerhere are some of their stories.
Michael Carroll
(Picture: PA.)
Michael Carroll was still wearing an electronic tag and working as a binman when he claimed a winning £9.7million ticket in 2002, aged just 19.
But his struggles with addiction led him to squander his fortune on booze, brothers, sex parties and expensive cars, leaving him bankrupt in 2013.
But he is now said to have a quiet life and is said to have told The Sun: “The croupier who introduced me to the crack has more money than me in the Lotto. But I have no regrets.”
Callie Rogers
Callie Rogers became the youngest lottery winner when she scooped an incredible £1.8million in 2003.
However, she would later blow her fortune by spending £18,000 on plastic surgery, £250,000 on cocaine, £300,000 on clothes and giving £500,000 to friends and family.
She later told ITV’s This Morning that she battled depression under the pressure of the win and attempted to take her own life.
Now in her thirties, she says she is much happier with her life as a working mother of three.
She added, “Not knowing who loved me for me and having all the stress of all the money, I just wanted to get back to a normal life. I’m still struggling with trust issues.”
John McGuinness
Hospital porter John McGuinness made £10million in 1997 and gifted millions to his family and hundreds of thousands to his ex-wife while indulging his passion for fast cars.
However, he found himself jobless and penniless thanks to his lifelong passion for Livingston FC. He is said to have invested 4.6 million euros in the club which then went into administration.
Because John had used his wealth as collateral against club loans, he was liable for all debt.
Jane Park
Jane Park won an incredible £1m EuroMillions jackpot aged just 17 while working £8 an hour.
However, after winning, she then threatened to sue, claiming it ruined her life.
Speaking to The Sunday People, she said: ‘I have material things but other than that my life is empty. What is my purpose in life?
“I thought it would [my life] ten times better but it made it ten times worse. I wish I had no money most of the time. I’m like, ‘My life would be so much easier if I hadn’t won.'”
Colin and Christine Weir
It was previously feared the jackpot curse was real after couple Colin and Christine Weir scooped the biggest lottery win of £161million in 2011.
However, the couple separated in 2019 after 38 years of marriage.
By the time Mr Weir died aged 71 in December that year, the father-of-two had managed to secure half of his share in just eight years.
He had shared it widely with his family and friends, including generous donations to his beloved Partick Thistle FC, charities, a political party, trust funds for the common good and property investments.
Mark Goodram and Jon Watson
Mark and Jon used details from a stolen debit card to buy a lottery scratch card which won £4million.
The two men from Bolton, Greater Manchester were jailed after racing for four days after winning the prize.
Suspicious Camelot officials refused to pay after Goodram revealed he had no bank account to pay the money into.
The couple denied fraud but later pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 18 months at Bolton Crown Court in December.
Get all the latest news and headlines from Edinburgh, Fife and Lothians straight to your inbox twice a day by signing up to our free newsletter.
From breaking news to breaking news on Scotland’s coronavirus crisis, we’ve got you covered.
The morning newsletter arrives before 9 a.m. daily and the evening newsletter, hand-curated by the team, is sent out at 6:30 p.m., giving you insight into the most important stories of the day.
To sign up, just enter your email address in this link here and select Daily News.
Edward Putnam
Camelot had previously been fined £3million after accepting a fraudulent £2.5million claim from convicted rapist Edward Putnam.
He was jailed for nine years for stealing Camelot in Britain’s biggest lottery fraud.
The rapist Mason conspired with Camelot insider Giles Knibbs who had access to vital information about the unclaimed tickets.
While on leave from prison he claimed an unclaimed £2.5million ticket which was bought in Worcestershire in March 2009.
Despite Camelot’s concerns about the validity of the ticket, they forked out, but his secret victory came to light after he claimed he was living in poverty for committing a cynical benefits fraud.
In 2019 he was jailed for nine years, after Knibbs took his own life in 2015.
Lorworth Hoare
Iorworth Hoare won £7.2million in the National Lottery in 2004 while in prison after being found guilty of attempted rape.
He bought the ticket at an Asda in Middlesbrough while on weekend leave from Leyhill Open Jail – a year before his release.
He has spent 30 years in prison since 1973 for one rape, three attempted rapes and two indecent assaults.
His victim successfully campaigned for the law to be changed so that she could sue Hoare for damages.
If you need someone to talk to, the Samaritans are available 24/7 by calling 116 123 or emailing [email protected]
Comments are closed.