A winning Lotto scratchcard has caused division between a couple after a row broke out over who bought it.
The winning £1million was bought at a shop in Spalding, Lincolnshire by security engineer Michael Cartlidge, 39, and Charlotte Cox, 37.
However, Cox has been deemed the sole winner by new Lottery chiefs after she walked out on him just weeks later.
Cartlidge has claimed that he was the one who suggested the idea to buy the card. However, his partner was the one who paid for it and scratched the winning card.
The National Lottery has ruled in favour of Charlotte Cox,
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He says he had tried to transfer Cox cash in the shop to cover the purchase.
“£1million has never brought such misery,” a source told The Sun.
Mum-of-one Cox initially decided to share the cash, but walked out on him weeks later before claiming to be sole winner. An investigation had been launched by former Lottery chiefs Camelot, including viewing CCTV footage from the shop, and had indicated to Michael that the £1million would be split.
However, it is understood new Lottery owners Allwyn have now ruled Cox is the rightful claimant.
Cartlidge 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."
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Mum-of-one Cox initially decided to share the cash from the winning scratchcard
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However, Cox hit back at his "rubbish" claims last night. Sources close to her insisted her former boyfriend has "no right" to the money as she paid for the winning ticket.
They told The Sun: "One million pounds has never brought so much misery. It’s ruined the last three months for her and her family."
Speaking about the purchase, Cartlidge said the couple had been dating for three months when they hit the jackpot thanks to an impulse Friday evening purchases. He said: "She said she didn’t have the money to spend on scratchcards, but I said I’d transfer her the money. We were in the shop and I went on my Halifax app because I didn’t have my bank card.
"I started the transfer, I held it up to show her. You can see me doing this on the shop CCTV, which Camelot has. The signal was bad so it didn’t go through at the time in the shop, it was just in the process of transferring. The little loading circle was going round. She bought the two tickets on her card and when we got home she scratched it."
One of the Dice Towers scratchcards landed them the £1million jackpot. He said: "We couldn’t believe it. We were in a state of shock. It was mad really. I opened my app up about 40 minutes later and it pinged as it completed the transfer."
However, Cartlidge claimed he was then left stunned when, "out of the blue", Charlotte asked him via a friend to leave. He claims took the scratchcard with her. 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."
Cox said: "I bought the ticket. He didn’t transfer me the money. It is all rubbish, I want nothing to do with it."
A 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."
Cox hit back at his "rubbish" claims last night
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A spokesperson from Alwyn said: "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.
"If there is no agreement in place, any dispute between the parties needs to be resolved between themselves."
