Ex Demands Half of £1million Jackpot But Winner Says “No!”

Winning a vast sum of money is everyone’s dream but does money really bring happiness? Over the years we’ve seen jackpots bring both happiness and misery and in a few instances even murder…

…but not once have we come across a tale of two lovers hitting the jackpot for them later to split with one retaining the winnings! It’s literally the stuff of nightmares as 39-year old Michael Cartlidge from Lincolnshire recently found out!

Lovers Win!

Charlotte Cox, a 37-year old from Lincolnshire who at the time of winning £1million, was dating Michael Cartlidge. The pair purchased multiple scratchcards from a Nisa Shop in Spalding when one of the tickets Ms Cox scratched turned out to be worth £1million. Mr Cartlidge claims that at the time of the win, Ms Cox had agreed to split the winnings – but she split with him weeks later instead!

Mr Cartlidge, a security engineer, openly admits that his ex-girlfriend had bought the scratchcards but he did choose some of them and shop CCTV even captured him transferring half of the cost of the instant wins via his banking app…

…however, due to poor signal the funds didn’t reach his then girlfriend’s bank until 40-minutes later. This was no issue (at the time) as Mr Cartlidge claims the pair instantly started to plan what they’d do with the winnings – holidays, fancy motors and the pair even planned to buy a new house together.

Building A Future Together On Deceit

While waiting on the withdrawal, big ideas were floating around Mr Cartlidge’s head, he claims that two weeks after the win he received a text out of the blue from his girlfriend’s best mate instructing him to move out of her home. The security engineer said Ms Cox left the house and never returned so he did exactly the same, only he took the winning scratchcard to Camelot to plead his case.

Camelot review CCTV footage of the pair in Nisa, Spalding on November 21^st, 2023. “They interviewed the woman in the shop as well and she backed it up. As far as I was aware after this it was agreed we would split it,” but things were about to go from bad to worse…

…On January 25^th, 2024, a Camelot official sent a message to both Ms Cox and Mr Cartlidge stating: “Hi both, it’s gone back to the legal team for the moment to decide what we need to draft for you to sign regarding the sharing of the prize if that is what you’ve both agreed. This should at least save you having to pay a solicitor. We’re nearly there for you.”

Computer Says No…

On February 10^th, Allwyn, the new owner of the lottery sent Mr Cartlidge a gut-wrenching message that he was not entitled to any of the winnings. He told national a newspaper: “I’m willing to fight for it to make sure I’m paid what I’m owed. Especially after Camelot agreed with this. Now the new owner has taken over they have done a total U-turn.”

But Allwyn said that only the person whose name is written on the back of the ticket can claim the prize: “The National Lottery Rules for Scratchcard Games make clear that only one person can be the owner of a ticket and that only the person whose name and address is written on the back of a winning scratchcard can claim a prize.

This means that a prize can only be paid to one person and this is always communicated clearly to prize claimants. Where a claimant agrees to share a prize with other parties (for example, players in a syndicate) after the prize has been paid, we always recommend that a legal agreement is drawn up between the interested parties.”

Let this be a warning to us all!

Source: “Woman Accused of Pocketing Lotto Jackpot After Boyfriend Split Says It’s Rubbish, £1m Has Never Brought So Much Misery”. The Sun. February 20, 2024.