A LOTTO winner blew his £3.5m jackpot and ended up penniless three years later after splashing the cash on forty cars.
John Roberts bagged the lump sum at the age of 30 back in 1998 – but found himself living in a caravan in Leeds shortly after.
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Known for being one of Scotland’s biggest winners, he recklessly spent all his winnings on motors and even racked up a £40,000 hotel bill.
John and his wife at the time Linda moved their family from their humble abode in Edinburgh to a mansion in Blackpool as part of their celebratory spending.
The couple split before John reportedly lost the rest of his millions, which is equivalent to £6.3m in 2023, to tricksters.
According to the Mirror, the former security guard fell victim to a string of dodgy deals.
One investment led John to believe he had bought a pub only to find out his name was never on the deeds.
He reportedly also got into trouble with police after two warrants for his arrest were issued.
John allegedly failed to pay fines for several motoring offences and skipped two inquiry hearings at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Edinburgh City Council were also chasing John over rent arrears and unpaid tax, reports The Herald Scotland.
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Back in 2004, John appeared on ITV‘s show A Decade of Lottery Disasters.
A spokeswoman for the programme said it was screened to reveal the “damaging flipside” to bagging a fortune.
Speaking at the time, she said: “Camelot has created 200 multi-millionaires and made many more rich beyond their wildest dreams.
“People were totally seduced by the promise of instant wealth, but ten years down the line, A Decade of Lottery Disasters reveals that there can be a damaging flipside to winning a fortune.”
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