A man who fraudulently claimed a £2.5 million National Lottery jackpot using a forged ticket has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Edward Putman, 54, from Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, was convicted of fraud by false representation at St Albans Crown Court.
The court heard that Putman was assisted by Camelot insider Giles Knibbs, who worked in the fraud detection department. Knibbs knew how to manipulate the lottery system and produced a counterfeit ticket for Putman to present in 2009, just before the claim deadline. The fraud was uncovered after Knibbs died by suicide in 2015 following a dispute over the proceeds.
Judge Philip Grey described the scheme as a “sophisticated, carefully planned, and diligently operated fraud” that undermined public trust in the National Lottery. He noted that Putman’s greed ultimately led to his downfall. The genuine winning ticket, purchased in Worcester, has never been found.
Putman collected the jackpot in September 2009 despite the damaged ticket lacking a barcode. He later served nine months for benefit fraud after claiming £13,000 in housing and income support while a millionaire. In 2016, Camelot was fined £3 million by the Gambling Commission for control weaknesses that allowed the fraud to occur.
Camelot has since apologised and stated that processes have been strengthened to prevent a similar incident. Tapashi Nadarajah of the Crown Prosecution Service remarked that Putman’s lies fell apart following the tragic death of his co-conspirator, with whom he refused to share the winnings.
