Trial hears ‘co-conspirator’ who took own life ‘blurted out con’

Keeley said: “It contained big wins that had not been claimed, including dates, times and locations where tickets had been bought.”

This gave him the opportunity to create the fake ticket, it is alleged.

While out drinking with pal Andrew Suckley it is alleged he “blurted out he had ‘conned’ the lottery”.

Keeley added: “He explained it had been quite easy to do, that the ticket could not be created until the numbers were known.

“He said it was knowing the numbers and creating a ticket with the winning numbers on it.”

Knibbs told versions of the story to friends John Whittaker and Wesley Dopson before he was found dead in his vehicle in Ivinghoe Beacon, Bucks, the court heard. He told Camelot colleague Andrew Sales how he made 100 tickets to find the two-digit “Checksum number”, which has 100 potential combinations, the jury was told.

Putman, of Kings Langley, Herts, tried 29 shops with 29 fake tickets before he struck lucky, the prosecutor said.

Keeley said: “What would have occurred was the defendant going in to each shop with a different forged ticket and having the serial number entered in to see if he had won. He struck lucky at North Town Stores in High Wycombe.”

Knibbs, who worked at Camelot from 2004 to 2010, felt he did not get his “fair share” and confronted him in June 2015, the court heard.

He was arrested for burglary, blackmail and criminal damage after Putman complained to police, the jury was told.

After his death, police launched a fraud probe, which was hampered after Camelot mislaid the winning ticket and reopened when it was found in 2017.

Expert Oliver Thorne will tell the jury of “significant differences” between a genuine ticket and Putman’s one when he gives evidence, the prosecution said.

Putman’s ticket used a different type of paper than the one used at the Co-op in Worcester, where the winning ticket was sold on March 11, 2009. It has never been found, the court heard.

Putman was arrested on suspicion of fraud in October 2015 but answered “no comment”. In September 2018, when further interviewed, he said he purchased a ticket days before the draw.

Camelot claims the winning ticket was bought a day before the draw.

The two-week trial continues.

PROSECUTOR JAMES KEELEY ON ALLEGED CON