Lottery players have been reminded to keep their tickets safe after a couple cashed in a £30,000 winning slip that they found on the floor of a supermarket.
Amanda Stacey, 34, found the ticket in her local Co-op in Swindon and took it home - only to discover it held the winning numbers for that night.
She and husband Michael claimed the winnings but ended up in court when regular player Dorothy McDonagh, 61, proved that the ticket was hers, the Sun reported.
Police froze the remaining £15,000 and brought charges of theft and dishonesty relating to the found ticket. Mrs Stacey told police she didn't realise she was committing a crime and put the find down to luck.
The Staceys admitted charges of making a false representation, and Amanda Stacey also admitted theft. They were each given 11-month suspended jail sentences.
A judge at Swindon Crown Court said the pair had acted out of financial need, not greed. Rob Ross, defending, told the court: "It is important for the public to know that 'Finders keepers, losers weepers' is not true and never was true", the Sun reported.
A court hearing in July will decide if Ms McDonagh will get the £15,000 that remains. The only way she can recover the other half is by launching a private action.
A Camelot spokesman said: "The dispute is now between the two parties involved. We are reminding players to keep their tickets safe and fill out their names and addresses on the back. That way there can be no dispute.
"We have a clear lost and found policy so if a member of the public finds the ticket they should send it to our prize payout department, setting out in writing the circumstances of the find and the steps they took (if any) to reunite the ticket with its rightful owner.
"If no corresponding prize claim or lost ticket notice has been received the prize may be paid to the finder at Camelot's discretion after the expiry of the 180-day claim deadline."
Source: Yahoo!
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