A WOMAN whose sister-in-law won a £9.3million jackpot has slammed her for giving a “stingy” gift – telling gobsmacked friends it doesn’t come as a surprise.
May Powell, from Telford in Shropshire, was thrilled after her husband Len’s sister Irene Jones scooped the lottery prize.
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Irene, 69, had vowed to “look after” her whole family after winning the jackpot in October 2007.
At the time, she said: “We’re going to ensure that all our loved ones are taken care of.”
OAP Irene posted Len and May a cheque, which their son Mark opened on their behalf.
He was shocked to find a cheque for just £1,000 – less than 0.02% of the cash prize.
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The cheque came with a note from Irene, which read: “Hope it will help you out with the struggle with money.
“Treat yourselves. Love Irene.”
May told the Shropshire Star: “I’m not surprised, Irene and Ron always watched the pennies.
“Our friends said ‘is that all they’ve given you?’
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“But we’ve decided to see it as a bonus and have sent Irene a thank you letter.”
Len and May put the £1,000 sum towards a walk-in shower at their Telford home.
Irene splashed out on a £300,000 bungalow in Wolverhampton, where she had lived in a council house before winning the lottery.
She said: “I’m not going to say anything about money because it always stirs things up.”
But the pensioner told the Birmingham Mail: “The funniest thing is I bought the ticket on Friday the 13th.
“The mirror in the living room had fallen from the wall and smashed into a million pieces.
“I now don’t believe in superstitions and my luck has definitely changed for the better.”
Another famous lottery winner who netted a cool £11million was so tight that he “never got a round in”.
