EuroMillions couple won £148MILLION before their story took a tragic turn
It was every couple’s dream - music shop owner Adrian, 41, and healthcare assistant Gillian, 40, were struggling to make ends meet when they turned on the TV one night in 2012 to discover their numbers had come up.
The pair were blown away by their good fortune but little did they know, things would start falling apart just a few months later.
Within a few short years Gillian would reveal how she wished she had never gone public, describing how
"The money was supposed to make everybody happy,” a tearful Gillian told reporters at the time.
Gillian, 43, split from then-husband Adrian just 15 months after the win, the pair divided the money and Gillian moved from their Suffolk home back to Scotland.
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The couple's marriage came to an end just a few short months after their massive win (SWNS.COM)She opened a property company in Angus, employing her best pal but the pair reportedly had a falling out in a row over dogs.
Gillian was also accused of attacking her 'gold digger' ex but was cleared over a lack of evidence.
She married Brian Deans, 38, near St Andrews in August 2018, six years to the day after her jackpot. She now uses her new husband’s surname.
Adrian and his then-wife, Gillian, bought a country pile in Cambridgeshire in 2012 (Phil harris)Meanwhile Adrian got engaged to a stable girl 16 years his junior after a six-week relationship following his split with Gillian.
He finally after their lottery win, which was said to be full of sad memories for him, for a loss.
After a string of failed relationships a friend revealed that Adrian just wanted rid of the luxury pile.
They told the Sun: “He blames the house for all the bad luck he’s had in love.
“He says the move from his old, happy life brought all the bad luck he’s had.
“Since Gillian left, he’s just wanted someone to share his millions with but it’s not worked out.”
Outbuildings at the plush Horseheath Lodge once owned by Euromillions winner Adrian Bayford (Rightmove)Tragedy struck again when their son was left in a life-threatening condition after a horror crash on a quad-bike.
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Reports in September 2021 revealed 13-year-old Cameron had been hit by a car driven by his sister Amy, 15, in the ground of his dad's mansion.
A friend of Adrian's told the Sun at the time: "Adrian just feels consumed with guilt.
"He allowed his son and daughter to go out around the estate on those vehicles.
"His daughter is too young to drive on a public road, but as it is a private estate she did not need a licence. The kids were on his watch as they were with him while their mum was in Scotland.
It is understood that Cameron was put into an induced coma following the accident but has since made a recovery.
Adrian and Gillian in happier times, they are not the only people to have fallen victim to the lotto curse (Getty Images)Sadly their story is not unique, personal tragedy has dogged the lives of many lotto winners over the years. The tragedy follows a clear pattern - the joy of winning is replaced by despair, as they either blow through a fortune, or their personal lives become unbelievably stressful.
Karl Crompton won £11million on the National Lottery aged 23 in 1996, but Karl fell foul of the so-called "lottery curse" after his childhood sweetheart left him.
Margaret Loughrey won the top prize of almost €32million in November 2013 - after picking up her ticket following a visit to the Jobcentre.
Within weeks of her jackpot, the pressure of her windfall became too much and she cut ties with her family - but not before giving them €1 million each to each member of her family, as well as a handful of her closest friends.
Within months, she was sectioned and then in 2015, she was ordered to do 150 hours' community service for drunkenly assaulting a taxi driver after boozing.
In 2019, she said her lotto win had "sent her to hell and back", adding: "Money has brought me nothing but grief. It has destroyed my life."
Lee Ryan was one of the first winners, scooping a whopping £6.5m weeks after the national lottery was launched in 1994. He spent his winnings on luxury cars, a helicopter and a £2m mansion.
But was later jailed for handling stolen cars and spent time sleeping rough in London and later claimed his jackpot was “cursed”.
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