Lottery winner ‘handed £2.5m jackpot after claiming with fake ticket’, fraud trial told

Edward Putman

An alleged conman conspired with a Camelot employee to fake his way to a multi-million-pound National Lottery win more than a decade ago, a court has heard. Edward Putman, 54, is accused of fraud by false representation after allegedly claiming an outstanding jackpot of £2.5m with a fake ticket in 2009. He is accused of conspiring with friend Giles Knibbs – who worked in the securities department at Camelot between 2004 and 2010 – to submit a damaged fake ticket to take the top prize in September 2009, just before the 180-day limit to claim prizes was due to expire.
The trial at St Albans Crown Court was told Mr Knibbs did not feel he had received his fair share of the jackpot, which was paid out to Putman, and they had a bitter argument.
Mr Knibbs killed himself later that year, the court was told, having been arrested for burglary, blackmail, and criminal damage. The genuine winning ticket, which was bought in Worcester, has never been found.
Prosecutor James Keeley told the jury: “The prosecution ask you to keep your eye on the ball in that the clear picture that comes out from what Mr Knibbs told his friends is that a fraud took place and both he and the defendant were involved in it.”
Mr Keeley said the ticket submitted by the defendant was badly damaged but on September 8, 2009, Camelot decided he was the genuine winner and paid out. The prosecutor said: “They had been conned.”
The court was told Mr Knibbs had been working late one night during his time at Camelot when he saw a document being printed containing details of big wins which had not yet been claimed.
Evidence suggested Mr Knibbs was paid an initial £280,000 from Putman for his part in the alleged ruse followed by much smaller increments totalling £50,000, Mr Keeley said.
The court was told Mr Knibbs had told friends he had “conned” the lottery and had done so with Putman using the fake tickets.
But he was said to be “terrified” in the time leading up to his suicide that details of his involvement in the alleged fraud would emerge.
Mr Keeley, referring to testimony from one of Mr Knibbs’ friends, said: “Mr Knibbs said that the defendant was telling lies about him and thus wanted to create an alternative story without exposing the lottery fraud. He was very upset about the betrayal by the defendant.”
Putman, of Station Road, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, denies fraud by false representation.
The trial is listed to last for two weeks.