Jailed £2.5m lotto fraudster has not paid back a penny
Rapist conman faces 6 years on top of his 9-year sentence
A LOTTO conman who claimed £2.5million with a fake ticket has yet to pay back a single penny of the money, the Daily Mirror can reveal.
At a proceeds of crime hearing in January, Edward Putman, a convicted rapist, was told he had three months to hand over £939,782.44 or he would get six years added to his nine-year term.
Now a document released under the Freedom of Information Act confirms “to date the full confiscation order amount of £939,782.44 is outstanding”.
Last night the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Putman, who still owns a £700,000 property, had been given an extension to pay the cash.
Sources said that once the three months had elapsed there were “a range of options” prosecutors could consider.
Putman tricked Camelot in 2009 with a fake ticket made by Giles Knibbs, who worked at Camelot’s fraud detection unit. Putman called Camelot just days before the six-month limit was to expire, claiming he was “having palpitations”.
Camelot paid out despite the crumpled ticket missing its bottom half and key security features, such as a barcode.
But the fraud unravelled when Mr Knibbs killed himself – leaving notes incriminating Putman.
Last night a friend of Mr Knibbs said: “It’s devastating that Putman has yet to pay up – there’s no way he should be allowed to get away with it. My fear is that when he is released, he may well have access to millions more stashed away.”
Evidence suggested Knibbs was paid £280,000 by Putman, followed by much smaller increments totalling £50,000.
Putman, jailed for nine years for raping a teenager in the 1990s, went on a spending spree with girlfriend Lita Stephens, replacing luxury cars if they got so much as a scratch.
Pals said they flew first-class around the world and they were said to have bought properties in Florida and Malta.
Putman avoided publicity following the jackpot win, but was unmasked in 2012 after he fraudulently claimed £13,000 in housing and income support. He was jailed for nine months. Putman claimed he was a “genuine winner” at his fraud trial, but jurors heard how Knibbs had begun to feel aggrieved he did not get his “fair share”. He damaged one of Putman’s cars during a row in 2015 and was arrested after his former friend called the police.
Knibbs then told friends about the lottery scam before killing himself months later.
As Putman was jailed for nine years in 2019, judge Philip Grey told him: “Whatever the exact monetary split you and Mr Knibbs had agreed, you did not pay him what split he felt he was owed.”
The judge criticised “greedy” Putman, saying: “You struck at the integrity of the national lottery.”
Despite claiming £2.5m, prosecutors later said the amount available for confiscation now was just £939,782.44.
After the scam, the Gambling Commission fined Camelot £3m for paying the faked claim.
It’s devastating that Putman has yet to pay up. No way should he get away with it
FRIEND OF GILES KNIBBS ON FRAUDSTER EDWARD PUTMAN