National Lottery conman faces extra six years in jail over £2.5m scam

A conman who cashed in a fake National Lottery ticket to claim £2.5m will be jailed for a further six years unless he hands over assets of £939,782, a court has heard.

Edward Putman, 54, was jailed for nine years in 2019 after a trial heard how he was awarded the cash using a fraudulent lottery ticket in 2009.

At a proceeds of crime hearing Putman was told he had three months to pay up.

His barrister Lawrence Selby said he would not contest the decision.

"Mr Putman does not accept or agree the benefit figure or realisable assets, but will not be contesting these proceedings," Mr Selby told the hearing at St Albans Crown Court.

Putman is set to lose a house and land in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, where he had planned to build a hotel.

Judge Philip Grey said he would give a formal ruling later, but would impose a further six years in prison if the money was not paid within three months.

During his 2019 trial, the jury heard Putman had conspired with Giles Knibbs, who worked in Camelot's security department, to present a fake ticket.

After pocketing the winnings, Putman was sentenced in 2012 to nine months for a benefit fraud after claiming £13,000 in housing and income support.

The Lottery fraud began to unravel in October 2015 when Mr Knibbs, 38, took his own life at Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.

He had confessed to friends that he and Putman had "conned" the Lottery after a row with Putman in June 2015.

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