Everybody is familiar with the scurry to find a winner in the National Lottery, after a £33m cash prize went unclaimed. Most people will also be familiar with the woman who claimed to have run her ticket through the washer, too. However, not only has the real winner come forth and claimed their prize, the lotto liar who claimed it as her own could face prosecution, and stardom at once.
After the correct winning ticket was handed in, Susanne Hinte – the 48-year-old grandmother, who originally comes from Germany, and claimed the winning ticket was hers – could face prosecution for launching a malicious false claim.
Camelot – who run the National Lottery – have said that they will begin prosecuting anybody who is found guilty trying to defraud the competition, and this could include hundreds of people who claimed that they had the winning ticket. Miss Hinte may be exempt from the prosecution, though, due to a technicality concerning Camelot’s rules regarding the paying out of damaged tickets.
Meanwhile, thousands of people across the UK are furious that somebody would try and cheat the lottery and not face prosecution whilst others may do. They are calling for Hinte to be prosecuted.
Miss Hinte – who has been offered adult movie roles worth £500 a pop since her lotto claim – also has a past which includes failing to pay fines, failing to reveal a driver’s license when asked, and failing to pay her TV license. She is also due to stand trial for theft, and for motoring offences next month. None of the above will put her in good stead if she attempts to claim it as an “honest” mistake.
At the same time, Hinte could be chosen to appear in the Celebrity Big Brother house. The move would see her become yet another UK Z-list celebrity made on the controversial reality show. It would also bring her a fistful of revenue. It may not be as much as £33 million, but Miss Hinte could still end up rich, even if she is prosecuted.
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