Lottery Ticket Ripped Before Couple Received £57.9 million
A couple, who were the winners of a £57.9 million EuroMillions lottery jackpot, had their ticket ripped up by mistake when they asked a shop assistant to check it.
Fred and Lesley Higgins handed the winning ticket to their local shopkeeper in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire.
The assistant ran it through a check before tearing it in two and telling Mr. Higgins it was not a winner. However, he then had to retrieve it from the bin. The shop terminal produced a print out saying the ticket should be retained, and the owner should contact Camelot.
Mr. Higgins, 67, a retired Audi administrator who has since bought a new Audi Cabriolet, said: “The retailer immediately grabbed it out of the bin and handed it to me, not realizing it was a winner before he discarded it.”
Although the ticket was ripped into two, the numbers were still clear. The couple were told that because the ticket for the draw on July 10 had been torn, the claim would need to be investigated and a security team spoke to them about what had happened and checked the CCTV footage.
However, Mr. Higgins said he was confident they would receive the money. He initially misread the total and thought they had won £5.7 million.
Lottery Enables New Life For Couple
Mrs. Higgins, 57, handed in her notice as an account manager at the Montrose Port Authority.
The couple, who have been married for 35 years, are now considering visiting India and China. Furthermore, they are looking at second homes in Barbados,Mediterranean.
“We love Gozo, which is where my niece lives, so we always thought we would get somewhere out there.”
Mr. Higgins continues to play the lottery.
They also plan to have big celebrations. “It is our wedding anniversary on 20 August and my birthday a couple of days later, so I think a celebration is in order before we decide what comes next.”
Sean Grant, 18, the shop assistant who accidentally tore up the ticket at the Scotmid store in Laurencekirk said it was an “honest mistake”.
