Lottery winner to pay compensation

16/05/2011 10:16:49

UK National Lottery When Ioworth Hoare bought a lottery ticket while in day release from an open prison, he could never have imagined that he would scoop over £7 million. Mr Ioworth was convicted of rape and then while in prison won over £7 million in 2004; no rules prevent prisoners buying lottery tickets and so he could keep the prize but now the Lottery winner is to pay compensation to his victim after a ruling by the European Court of Justice.

When Mr Hoare won the lottery back in 2004, the media soon picked up on the story. How could a life prisoner be allowed to win £7 million on the UK National Lottery? But it happened, no rules prevented prisoners from playing the lottery and so Mr Hoare was allowed to keep his prize.

	UK National Lottery (UK)
	UK National Lottery (Outside UK)

However, the media interest meant that his victim soon found out about his luck, and she challenged him, through the courts for compensation. Originally it was thought that she would be unable to, as he won the lottery jackpot after the rape offence, but in the first case of its kind, Mr Hoare has been forced to pay her £50,000 compensation. Mr Hoare will actually be left with a bill of £800,000, most of this being legal fees, while the victim collects her £50,000 compensation.

This precedent will now pave the way for other people in the same situation to sue for compensation, years after an event if the person comes into any considerable cash and means we could see many cases like this in the future.