Charges quashed

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25

2016 MOST lottery winners endure intense stress and sleepless nights while they wait for their ticket to be verified.

But when Gerry Cannings discovered that he and his wife had won more than £32 million, he calmly popped the slip in his wallet and waited for nearly a week while decorators finished painting their house.

The 63- year- old retired teacher and his wife Lisa, 48, decided they wanted the job completed before dealing with the disruption to their lives the huge jackpot would cause.

Dressed in a comfortable polo shirt for a photocall this week, he said: “We are not the rushing sort.”

Lisa Cannings added: “I know it sounds mad but we had a guy in to paint the whole house. We just thought it would be easier to wait, although it did mean that Gerry had to carry round the winning ticket in his wallet all week.”

The keen golfer is planning to upgrade his estate car to something wide enough to hold his clubs.

He and his wife are also big fans and hope to visit New Zealand where the movie trilogy was filmed. – Daily Mail A MEERKAT expert who struck a monkey handler with a wine glass at a London Zoo Christmas party has had her assault conviction quashed in the High Court.

Caroline Westlake, 30, was convicted of “recklessly but not intentionally” causing a wound that needed three stitches on the cheek of Kate Sanders after Sanders criticised her looks.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court found Westlake guilty of assault by beating after hearing that both datedAdam Davies at different times.

But Lord Justice Laws and Mr Justice Nicol ruled the magistrates applied the wrong legal test for recklessness and quashed the conviction. – Daily Mail