A LOTTERY winner has hit back after being accused of pocketing a £1million jackpot after splitting from her boyfriend.
Charlotte Cox, 37, has slammed her ex-partner, Michael Cartlidge’s “rubbish” claims that he is entitled to half the massive win.
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The couple, from Spalding, Lincs, have been embroiled in a nasty war over who deserves the life-changing £1million pay out.
Confusion arose after Camelot agreed the pair should split the money, but new Lottery owners Allwyn made a U-turn weeks later and ruled Charlotte was the sole winner.
I know it was her bank account that paid for it, but it should go 50-50 morally.”
Michael Cartlidge
The mum-of-one had been dating Michael for three months when they scooped the lucky ticket on a spontaneous Friday evening.
They popped into a local Nisa shop to take home a few £5 scratchcards, upon Michael’s suggestion.
Michael, 39, who lived with Charlotte at the time, was seen on CCTV transferring the money to her account.
However, due to bad signal the cash didn’t drop into her bank until after the pair arrived home, meaning she bought the tickets herself at the counter.
Their jaws-dropped later that night when one of the Dice Towers scratchcards revealed a whopping £1million win.
‘It’s all rubbish’
Michael claimed the couple immediately started planning on buying a new house, looking at fancy motors and dreaming of luxury holidays.
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But weeks after their win, he received a message “out of the blue” from Charlotte’s friend asking him to move out.
Charlotte told The Sun: “I bought the ticket. He didn’t transfer me the money.
“It is all rubbish, I want nothing to do with it.”
And, sources close to her insist her former boyfriend has “no right” to the money as she paid for the winning ticket.
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They added: “One million pounds has never brought so much misery.
“It’s ruined the last three months for her and her family.”
Another close source to her added: “You can’t believe a word that man says.
“This has ruined the last three months for her and her family. All over Christmas it has caused nothing but upset.
“Mike has no right to this money. He is not a nice person. Charlotte won, she paid for the ticket and she scratched the ticket.
“The case is closed.”
“£1million has never brought such misery,” added another source.
FIGHTING BACK
However, a fuming Michael has vowed he will take legal action if he doesn’t see a penny.
The security engineer is adamant he is entitled to half the jackpot because Charlotte “wouldn’t have got it without” him.
He said: “I am in shock. I can openly admit that we wouldn’t have got that ticket without Charlotte, but she wouldn’t have got it without me either.
“I know it was her bank account that paid for it, but it should go 50-50 morally.”
The dad-of-one admitted he began transferring money at the counter but Charlotte “bought the two tickets on her card”.
After discovering the win, Michael said “We couldn’t believe it. We were in a state of shock. It was mad really.”
He also said less than an hour later, confirmation of the money he sent to Charlotte popped up on his phone.
SHOCKING SPLIT
Michael maintains “everything was going fine” after the big news, with celebrations and talk of buying a house together.
“We were speaking about getting a new house, maybe a three-bed detached. And she wanted a new car, nothing fancy, a Kia or something nice,” he explained.
He claimed Charlotte’s name was on the back of the card, but they had agreed to a joint account.
A meeting with NatWest had even been organised weeks after the win.
However, Michael was shocked when his girlfriend then “left the house and never came back”.
So he did — and took the winning card with him.
“Things started to get fishy from that point, he said.
“I knew she was up to something. I thought, ‘Oh here we go’. She had left the scratchcard at home so I took it and went to stay at my mum’s.”
‘Total U-turn’
Michael gave the card to Camelot staff on November 21 and they started to review CCTV footage of the couple buying the ticket.
“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,” Michael added.
IT’S GAME OVER FOR JACKPOT PARTNERS
By Rachel Dale
THERE has been a long history of couples splitting after big lottery wins.
Adrian and Gillian Bayford scooped £148million on the EuroMillions in 2012 before separating 15 months later.
The pair, who lived in Haverhill, Suffolk, at the time, cited the pressure of their enormous win as part of the reason.
Kirk Stevens and girlfriend Laura Hoyle won £10,000 a month for 30 years in the Set for Life draw in 2021.
Laura was living with him rent-free in Hucknall, Notts, when Kirk suggested she paid £25 a week into the Lotto instead.
That certainly paid off — but the following year she dumped him, moved into a smart new house and cut him off from the loot.
Teachers Gerry, 71, and Lisa Cannings, 55, won £32.5million in 2016 and vowed to stay “Mr and Mrs boring and normal”. But the Lincs couple separated four years later and are now with new partners.
Other Lotto jackpot splits include Gareth and Catherine Bull, from Notts, who won £40.6million in 2012.
The dad-of-one said he still spent Christmas Eve at Charlotte’s house dressed up as Father Christmas for her child as he thought the dispute had been settled between them.
On January 25, a Camelot official sent a message to the pair which read: “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.”
However, on February 10, new owner Allwyn sent Michael a message stating he was not an eligible winner.
He said: “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.”
ALLWYN’S STATEMENT
An Allwyn official stated only the name written on the back of the ticket can claim the prize.
It told The Sun: “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.
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“If there is no agreement in place, any dispute between the parties needs to be resolved between themselves.”
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