A conman has been convicted of cashing in a fake Lottery ticket to claim a £2.5m jackpot.
Edward Putman, 54, conspired with a Camelot insider to cheat the system and present a counterfeit slip to claim the outstanding top prize in 2009.
The builder hatched the plot with friend Giles Knibbs - who then worked in the securities department at the Lottery operator - with the pair submitting a deliberately damaged forgery just before the 180-day limit to stake claims expired.
But the fraud unravelled after Mr Knibbs confessed to friends that he had "conned" the Lottery before taking his own life after an angry row about how the winnings were divided.
Jurors at St Albans Crown Court found Putman guilty of fraud by false representation on Friday after a two-week trial.
Convicted benefits cheat Putman, wearing a Barbour-style jacket and blue jeans, did not appear to make any reaction to the verdict.
We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
For the latest news and breaking news visit http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/.
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time.
We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
