Man tried to join Christian cult after losing lottery ticket worth £3million
After losing his winning lottery ticket a Brit missed out on a £3million jackpot - before trying to join an American Christian cult.
Although computer records proved he had bought the lucky ticket the then 25-year-old Martyn Tott, from Watford, lost out on the life-changing amount of money cash due to a technicality. Because the purchasing manager and his wife Kay only realised they had won six months after the numbers were called, they then could not find the ticket.
Despite records at their local Londis proving they bought the winning ticket, they were refused the money after a 45-day wait. This was because they had not registered the loss of the paper within 30 days. Devastated and confused by the loss Martyn’s marriage then broke down and he briefly joined a Christian cult in the US as he came to terms with what had happened. He had planned to quit his job, move house and go traveling with the jackpot that totaled £3,011,065.
He said: "Having that money taken away was torture. For a long time I lost sight of who I was and what I believed in." But his hopes were dashed when the lottery organiser, Camelot, as well as numerous lawyers, told him there was nothing he could do to appeal the refusal. The decision sparked national outrage, with Sir Richard Branson and Tony Blair amongst high-profile Brits to publicly support justice for Martyn.
After his marriage broke down Martyn briefly joined a Christian cult in America (Daily Mirror)The Totts hired a lawyer on a no-win-no-fee basis to sue Camelot, claiming its 30-day rule wasn't clear. However, their argument wasn’t strong enough to stand up in court. Blair's wife Cherie Booth QC offered her legal opinion at a reduced rate but also found the case wasn't worth pursuing.
Shoppers can bag 10 lottery tickets for £1 ahead of Friday's Millionaire Maker
Sir Richard flew the couple out to his privately owned Necker Island for a week as compensation. The couple - who had been living off a joint income of £34,000 a year - disagreed on how to deal with the loss.
While Kay was happy to move on and work on their marriage, Martyn became obsessed with seeking justice. Their two-year relationship fell apart and Kay moved out of the two-bed maisonette they shared in Watford, Hertfordshire.
Martyn quit his job to write an autobiography of the injustice while living off his shrinking savings fund. He started spending his time researching similar Lotto stories on the internet before turning to Christianity.
He began an online friendship with an American woman called Tanya in 2003, and she invited him to stay with her in Nashville, Tennessee. Tanya introduced him to a church group led by a "self-appointed Apostle" Martyn has only ever named as "Toby" for fear of repercussions.
Martyn tried to get a US visa to join the church permanently, but this proved difficult. And he later discovered all members had to pay 10 per cent of their earnings to the church leader. He decided to return to the UK, where Martyn's lawyers brought the case against Camelot to London's High Court in March 2007.
He was warned he would have to pay Camelot's £400,000 legal fees if he lost. His wealthy sponsor, Jonathan Bunn, pulled out and Martyn was forced to reckon with the fact he would never see his lost millions.
He published his novel, Six Magic Numbers, in October 2009. He now claims to be a film writer, casting director, director, cameraman, and editor.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
