Conman created fake EuroMillions ticket in bid to bag £15m jackpot
A crook who faked a £15.3 million EuroMillions win after claiming his ticket was ruined in a washing machine has avoided jail.
Mark Mould, from Dark Lane, Featherstone, stuck together ripped up pieces of two lottery tickets in a bid to dupe Camelot officials into thinking he had scooped the jackpot.
But the convicted burglar’s plot was foiled after National Lottery investigators realised he had crafted the bogus ticket after the draw.
The 29-year-old’s failed attempt to swindle the prize fund came just days after he cheated four women out of more than £200.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Atkins QC, said: “Many people like to play the lottery and many people would like to win £15m but you don’t win it by being dishonest.
“You’re a thoroughly dishonest man mixed with a huge amount of stupidity.”
There were no jackpot winners following the EuroMillions draw on October 14, 2016.
But Mould claimed his ticket was ‘in pieces as it had been in the washing machine’ and called Camelot five times between October 15 and 24.
Officials told him there were no jackpot winners but he then sent a letter with what appeared to be pieces of a winning ticket to Camelot.
Prosecutor, Mr Charles Crinion, said: “He said he knew they were the numbers because they were his lucky numbers, which he always used. It was clear to Camelot it consisted of pieces of two tickets put together.”
Investigators discovered Mould had bought a ticket on the day of the draw and another with the winning numbers the next day. A unique number on the ticket also showed it was a fraudulent claim, Stafford Crown Court heard.
Mr Crinion added: “He persisted with the claim for nearly a year and sent several letters.”
Defending, Mr Neil Gerrity, said Mould was suffering from mental health issues and battling substance misuse at the time of his offending.
The barrister added: “It’s remarkable he persisted with that. It was simply nonsense.”
Mould also tricked four customers into handing over cash for carpet fitting services he never carried leading up to his lottery ticket scam.
He admitted attempting to commit fraud and four counts of fraud between October 2016 and 2017.
He was handed a 15-month sentence suspended for two years, and a 12-month community order.
He must also pay £265 compensation to the victims of his carpet fitting con.
