A LOTTERY winner flushed her entire £330,000 jackpot down the toilet to make sure no one else could have it, a court heard.
Angela Maiers, 63 had sunk five bottles of champagne to celebrate her good fortune when she opened a letter that made her furious.
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It was a bill from the home that cared for her late husband.
Care home bosses had learned of her recent win on Germany’s national lottery, and demanded payment towards his medical expenses.
In a drunken rage, she tore up all 800 of the €500 notes she had in the house after taking the jackpot in cash.
Then she claims she flushed the shredded banknotes down the toilet so there was no chance of the home getting their hands on it.
As a result, she did not have any money left to pay the bill, she told a court in her home city Essen in 2014.
The court heard that it was not in itself illegal to have destroyed the money.
It was also suggested in court she could have made up the story to get out of paying.
But the court ruled only an expert would be able to decide if Angela was telling the truth.
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The home reportedly decided that was more trouble than it was worth.
Angela agreed to pay €4,000 (£3,310) in compensation to settle the case.
She is one of a handful of lottery winners around the world who have thrown it all away – although others have given it away instead.
In September a punter was hailed a local hero after it was revealed he donated his entire £500,000 jackpot to help friends and strangers struggling in Covid lockdowns.
Peter Charleton, who won the Tatts Lotto in Australia, said he didn’t feel comfortable keeping the money.
Instead he decided to distribute his new found fortune to those “struggling financially and emotionally.”
In April, one of Britain’s biggest EuroMillions winners revealed she is “addicted to giving”.
Big-hearted ex-teacher Frances Connolly, 55, has donated half her £115million fortune in three years.
She said it was much more than she agreed with husband Paddy, 57, but she does not intend to slow down.
Frances said: “It gives you a buzz. I’m addicted to it now.”
The couple’s original list of 50 family and friends to help out soon ballooned to 175.
They have so far given £50million to loved ones – helping them buy homes or pay off mortgages – and £10million to charities for young carers, refugees and the elderly.
She said: “Who needs all that money?
“The thing that makes me even happier is that every single person we gave money to has passed some of it on to other people.
“I can’t think of a day since winning the Lottery that I haven’t smiled.”
Another Lotto winner, former hospital worker Barbara Wragg, is known as the Lotto Angel in Sheffield after she and husband Ray won £7.6million in 2000.
They gave £5.5million to friends, family and good causes including cancer charities and hospitals.
The Wraggs paid for 250 inner-city kids to see a pantomime for six years running and travel costs for 60 veterans to attend a reunion of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.
They said their jackpot was “too much for two people” but spent the remaining cash going on 29 cruises around the world.
“It’s probably a bit selfish giving money away sometimes because we did get pleasure from it,” Barbara once said.
