A DOZY fraudster’s lotto con spiralled out of control after he stole a £1MILLION garage scratchcard – due to an unbelievably clumsy mistake.
Ryan McKellar tried his luck on a random National Lottery ticket, without paying for it, at the Moat Petrol Station in Dundonald, Belfast where he worked.
The shameless thief called Camelot to claim his eye-watering £1million jackpot – spinning a story to staff that he bought it “on the off chance”.
But, the investigation that ultimately lead to his downfall was sparked after McKellar mindlessly admitted he was employed at the petrol station.
The wannabe conman failed to realise Camelot’s terms and conditions state staff are not permitted to buy or use scratch-cards from their places of employment.
Although the dishonest lotto player did fork out for the ticket after realising his win, it was too late.
A joint effort between Camelot and PSNI later discovered stealing scratchcards was a routine occurrence.
They determined McKellar had been frequently unlawfully pocketing them to rake in some extra cash.
The thief, who was subsequently sacked, appeared before Downpatrick Crown Court, as reported by The Belfast Telegraph.
He was slapped with a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Judge Geoffrey Miller warned the defendant he would be sent straight behind bars should he reoffend, due to a “record for dishonesty”.
McKellar, of Burnreagh Park in Newtownards, previously admitted to stealing the lottery ticket.
He also revealed several other nicked scratchcards amounted to nearly £400 – a sum the judge ordered him to pay back.
Meanwhile, the prosecution highlighted how petrol station CCTV footage revealed the thief had stolen two tickets on his winning night.
They told the court he had been “regularly stealing scratchcards” and using the money to top up his wage.
But, his defence barrister argued the stolen lottery tickets would have cost “just under £400″, despite getting lucky on a big win.
They also told the court how McKellar “had an issue with gambling” and has been working to better himself since.
Judge Miller told McKellar: “What makes this case I suppose highly unusual is that one of the scratchcards you stole was the £1m winning ticket.
“Effectively it was temptation, and of course you then tried to prove you paid for it legitimately.”
Allwyn, which took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot earlier this year, said: “We are pleased to hear that this historic case has now been concluded. Like Camelot before us, as the new operator, Allwyn expects each and every one of our retail partners to act as an advocate for, and uphold the values of, The National Lottery.”
PSNI sergeant Shelley Regan added: “This sentencing follows a detailed police investigation, supported by Camelot, which resulted in a positive criminal justice outcome.
“After scratching the surface of this offending, we uncovered a real breach of trust for this man’s employer and financial loss.”
