A DELIVERY driver who scooped a life-changing £3.8million almost missed out on the cash after thinking the lotto email was a scam.
Jonny Johnston, a Tesco employee, was on a night out with colleagues on Saturday, December 16, when he got an email from the National Lottery saying there was “good news about his ticket”.
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The 45-year-old initially shrugged it off thinking it would be a small win.
It wasn’t until Sunday morning that Jonny and his partner of 25 years Christina were prompted to check the National Lottery app once more and they realised the news was a little more exciting than he first thought.
Jonny said: “I was sitting on the edge of the bed on Sunday morning trying to make sense of what I was seeing. I just kept staring at the numbers on my account. I thought maybe I had won £38,000 but then there were too many zeros.
“I passed the phone to Christina for her to check and she was in disbelief too. We both began to think that it was a trick, a scam even! We decided we had better call Camelot and double-check.”
The couple, from County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, had matched all six numbers on Saturday on a Lucky Dip Jonny had won the week before.
He said: “The kids were silent at first, looking at both of us in disbelief.
“And then the screaming and shouting started and everyone was jumping around the kitchen, cheering.
“Seeing as it was still early, we popped the kettle on and toasted the amazing news with a cup of coffee.”
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BACK TO WORK
After learning of his amazing win, Jonny still had another shift to work at Tesco before Christmas and was determined not to leave his colleagues in the lurch.
He completed a ‘click and collect’ shift at the local store on Saturday 23 December, handing over bags of Christmas turkeys and all the trimmings to unsuspecting customers who had no idea the man helping them load their car up was in fact a millionaire.
Jonny said said he put his newfound fortune to “the back of my mind and just worked away”.
News of the lucky Lotto windfall has spread fast among the local community, as well as Jonny’s colleagues at Tesco, who have expressed their joy and support for their co-worker, who has been delivering groceries to residents for over three years.
He said: “We have been keeping it quiet but that’s over now.
“My phone hasn’t stopped vibrating. I’m still in disbelief. This is a dream come true for me and my family.
“I’ve always worked hard, and this win will allow us to do things we could only ever have dreamt of before. I am incredibly grateful and still trying to wrap my head around it all.”
Christina, 46, said she too went back to work after scooping the immense sum on December 16, the week before Christmas.
She said: “Work still has to be done because January is a busy time for us and whatever we get done before January is a bonus.
“Jobs have to be finished before I finish. I had to tell my manager to get time off because you’re not allowed time off in December.”
And even though the couple initially kept their win a secret, she explained: “I had to give the reason for taking a bit of time off because it had to be a very serious reason.
“I know I don’t have to do this now but I’m keeping myself grounded. I love to work. You have to have a purpose.
“As long as I’m still wanted there, that’s the main thing.”
WHAT’S NEXT
The couple, who enjoyed a stay in Co Down’s five-star Culloden Hotel before speaking to reporters, say they are aware there could be begging letters in their future and scammers making approaches in search of money.
But they are taking advice from lotto operators Camelot who have told them they are always a phone call away.
Christina said: “We are prepared for whatever might happen.”
She said that December 16 had been the day that “changed our lives” but she would not say it was the best day of her life.
Christina said: “We’ve had three kids. Those days were amazing, to be fair, the best days.”
Jonny said: “The whole thing is still surreal. We’re still finding it hard to believe that this actually can happen.
“I still think we’re going to wake up some morning and realise it has been a dream.”
Christina said they decided to go public with their bumper win to “give people hope”.
She explained: “There’s so much bad stuff going on in the world it’s nice to put a bit of hope out there. And it’s nice to see it coming to Fermanagh.”
Christina, who works at an accountancy firm, told the Irish Sun: “We are never moving. No. We are staying in the same house.
“We love our home. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect so maybe a bit of redecorating, just a wee bit here and there, but that’s all.”
Christina said life went on as normal for her following their win, saying: “It’s not going to change us.”
WISH LIST
Jonny and Christina plan to use their newfound wealth to provide financial security for their family, as well as to indulge in some well-deserved leisure time together.
The couple, who have three children – two sons aged 23 and 19, and a daughter aged 20 – have never been abroad together and Jonny has never owned a passport.
Jonny said the furthest he had ventured to date were trips to Portrush, Galway, Bray and a single visit to Scotland.
Drinking a glass of champagne, the multimillionaire said he is now signing up for his first passport as the couple plan a luxury cruise.
Jonny said: “I would love for us all to go to the Caribbean, maybe on a cruise as it sounds and looks incredible. We have never had a family holiday together.”
Also on the wish list is a vintage car and a tractor for one of their children.
The win also allowed the family to put a few more presents under the Christmas tree, including designer handbags and a pair of £450 leather boots.
As for plans for their daily life in Co Fermanagh, they have no intention of moving house.
Jonny played the UK National Lottery on the app and the winning numbers on Saturday December 16 were 4, 12, 23, 30, 50 and 56.
Jonny’s win comes after a man who scooped a £105million lotto jackpot revealed he wishes he had never won and wants a normal life again.
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Meanwhile, a woman who spent £3 on the lottery while enjoying a drink at the pub scooped a £300k jackpot, but only received a quarter of it.
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