A hard-up couple found a winning Lottery ticket and used the £30,000 jackpot to pay off their debts - only to land themselves in court. Amanda Stacey, 34, spotted the ticket on the floor of her local Co-Op store in Swindon, Wiltshire, and took it home to discover it held the winning numbers for that night. She and husband Michael, 43, cashed in the windfall and spend half of it clearing their debts, as well as buying new carpets, and treats for their children, according to The Sun. Meanwhile, regular player Dorothy McDonagh, 61, proved to lottery firm Camelot that the Daily Play ticket was hers. Mrs Stacey told police she did not realise she was committing a crime and put the find down to luck. But officers froze the remaining £15,000 and charged the couple. The pair admitted charges of making a false representation, and Amanda Stacey also admitted theft. They were each given 11-month suspended jail sentences after a judge at Swindon Crown Court said they 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." 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 - after Camelot refused to pay out a second time. Neither Ms McDonagh nor the Staceys were available for comment when contacted by Sky News Online. 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."
If it was only a tiny win I would, since I don't think you could know whose ticket it'd been unless you won something massive and the person who lost it found out that you found it. But if it was a large win that matters I'd try and get it to the right people, since I'd only be giving up money that I didn't have.
I'd take the money and run! But if it was over something like 10 million I'd give the ticket in. But only if the actual person who bought the ticket didnt take me to court, if he/she did take me to court I'd proudly say finders keepers, and ask for at least half. The story reminds me of the movie What Happens In Vegas.
Hmm I actually have no idea whether I would or not. Until I am in that situation I can't say one way or another.
Depends on the situation - if I was poor and desperate for cash probably yes. However if I was pretty well done by probably not- I'd realise the risk of being caught would be too great.
Sadly enough, I probably would still cash the loto ticket in. Even after hearing about the case of the couple who cashed their ticket in, I still would. I think that Finders keepers losers weepers is a rule to follow (keep in mind this may just be because I'm still in school and don't own anything over 1,000 dollars that I could lose).
I would LOVE to cash one in, especially anything over $5 million. Let's see... I would get a new computer (the highest-end gaming one I could find), get every game I've always wanted to get but couldn't afford, take an easier college load so I can stay longer (dorm life is SWEET) with less stress... Yea, I'd have fun with it. Unfortunately, my sense of honor would probably require me to at least make an effort to return it to it's owner. All I would end up doing, though, is standing up and shouting "DID ANYONE LOSE A LOTTO TICKET???", and when no one responds, well, I keep it.
