Lost Lotto Ticket
Last Updated: Friday 16th January 2015, 10:03
Earlier this year a couple found a lost lottery ticket on the floor of a shop worth £30,000, thinking their lady luck was on their side they cashed in the ticket and spent much of it clearing debts and treating their family. However at the same time one Mrs Dorothy McDonagh had realised she had lost the £1 Daily Play ticket and rang lottery operator Camelot to report the lost lotto ticket.
Camelot refused to pay out the lottery ticket twice and it looked as though Mrs McDonagh would lose her winnings after the ticket had already been cashed and this event led to the police being called.
The case came to court yesterday and the judge has taken the decision that the couple, Mr and Mrs Stacey should repay half of the money to the original winner, they were also given an eleven month suspended sentence after admitting fraud.
However Mrs McDonagh from Swindon is still not happy with the outcome saying she is sure Camelot will be very pleased and plans to take legal action against Camelot for the remaining sum. The whole saga has gone on for nine months and it seems it is to roll on even further.
The Stacey’s declined to comment on the case but their solicitor released a statement to say that finding the lost Daily Play lotto ticket was luck, not theft and the Stacey’s believed they had simply been lucky to find the lottery ticket. He also said that the Stacey’s were always going to repay half of the winnings.
It shows the importance of looking after lottery tickets and the case shows that maybe it’s best to play the lotto online.
