A MAN planned to buy a three-bedroom house after winning £1million on the Lotto with his girlfriend – but now he’s getting nothing.
Michael Cartlidge, 39, scooped the life-changing jackpot with his then-partner Charlotte Cox, 37, when they bought the ticket on a whim at their local shop in Spalding, Lincs.
The couple, who had only been dating for three months when they won, have since been at logger-heads after Charlotte walked out – taking the money with her.
Charlotte paid for the card and scratched it, but Michael claims he suggested the idea and tried to transfer her cash in the shop to cover the purchase.
He says mum-of-one Charlotte initially decided to share the cash, but left him a few weeks later, before claiming to be sole winner.
Lottery chiefs Camelot launched an investigation — including viewing CCTV footage from the shop — and had indicated to Michael that the £1million would be split.
But it is understood new Lottery owners Allwyn have now ruled Charlotte is the rightful claimant.
Security engineer Michael, who claims he still has rights to half of the cash, said they’d made plans on how they were going to spend their winnings and wanted a house.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, he said: “Everything was going fine, we had filled in Charlotte’s name on the back of the card and it was going to be in her name but in a joint account.
“We were speaking about getting a new house, maybe a three-bed detached.
“And she wanted a new car, nothing fancy, a Kia or something nice.”
The dad-of-one added: “I am in shock. I can openly admit that we wouldn’t have got that ticket without Charlotte, but she wouldn’t have got it without me either.”
At the time of their win, Michael was living at Charlotte’s house and they went to their local Lidl to buy duck pancakes for dinner.
He then claims he suggested they pop to the Nisa next door to buy a couple of £5 scratchcards.
Michael said: “She said she didn’t have the money to spend on scratchcards, but I said I’d transfer her the money.
“We were in the shop and I went on my Halifax app because I didn’t have my bank card.
“I started the transfer, I held it up to show her. You can see me doing this on the shop CCTV, which Camelot has.
“The signal was bad so it didn’t go through at the time in the shop, it was just in the process of transferring. The little loading circle was going round.
“She bought the two tickets on her card and when we got home she scratched it.”
To their amazement, one of the Dice Towers scratchcards landed them the £1million jackpot. Michael said: “We couldn’t believe it. We were in a state of shock. It was mad really.
“I opened my app up about 40 minutes later and it pinged as it completed the transfer.”
The jubilant duo spent the evening taking pictures of the winning card, including one of Michael holding it.
The next day they went to the shop to verify the win and were given a pink ticket that said: “Tell Player to Contact Lottery Line.”
The dad went on: “After speaking to Camelot we had been told to set up private banking.
“We went to NatWest in Spalding and we had a meeting set up with them on the Monday. It was just over three weeks after we’d won.”
However, Michael claimed he was then left stunned when, “out of the blue”, Charlotte asked him via a friend to leave.
So he did — and took the winning card with him.
Michael said: “On the Monday morning she [Charlotte] left the house and never came back.
“I got a call from my mate saying she’d been in touch and wanted me to leave the house.
“Things started to get fishy from that point. I knew she was up to something. I thought, ‘Oh here we go’.
“She had left the scratchcard at home so I took it and went to stay at my mum’s.
“She then got back home and realised that I had the ticket and Camelot needed that.
“By this point the people that were dealing with our win at Camelot realised there was a problem.
“I was in touch with the two women dealing with our win and I gave them the card.”
Michael says he handed it over to Camelot staff on November 21.
A representative then travelled to Lincolnshire to interview the pair separately about the dispute.
Michael said: “They got the CCTV from the store where you can clearly see I show the screen of my phone to Charlotte and the woman behind the till to show the app is up and money transferring.
“They interviewed the woman in the shop as well and she backed it up.
“As far as I was aware after this it was agreed we would split it.
“Camelot had the ticket back and it was a matter of paperwork.”
You can’t believe a word that man says. This has ruined the last three months for her and her family
A source close to Charlotte
Michael said he spent Christmas Eve at Charlotte’s house dressed up as Father Christmas for her child, and believed the pair had put the scratchcard dispute behind them.
On January 25, a Camelot official sent a message to both Charlotte and Michael.
It read: “Hi both, it’s gone back to the legal team for the moment to decide what we need to draft for you to sign regarding the sharing of the prize if that is what you’ve both agreed.
“This should at least save you having to pay a solicitor. We’re nearly there for you.”
But on February 10, less than two weeks after new owner Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery, Michael was sent a letter stating he was not entitled to a penny.
He said: “I’m willing to fight for it to make sure I’m paid what I’m owed.
“Especially after Camelot agreed with this. Now the new owner has taken over they have done a total U-turn.”
However, Charlotte told The Sun: “I bought the ticket. He didn’t transfer me the money.
“It is all rubbish, I want nothing to do with it.”
A close source to her added: “You can’t believe a word that man says. This has ruined the last three months for her and her family.
“All over Christmas it has caused nothing but upset.
“Mike has no right to this money. He is not a nice person. Charlotte won, she paid for the ticket and she scratched the ticket.
“The case is closed.”
Last night Allwyn said that only the name written on the back of the ticket can claim the prize.
