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Lottery winner who scooped huge £11million prize dies after living like a hermit

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The former double-glazing firm boss moved to Scotland after his win for a quieter life
The former double-glazing firm boss moved to Scotland after his win for a quieter life

A LOTTO winner who scooped £11million but lived like a hermit in Scotland has died at the age of 73.

Paul Maddison and his former business partner Mark Gardiner won over £22million in the lottery jackpot in 1995.

Paul Maddison (left) and Mark Gardiner won over £22million in 1995 eiqrtitdiqrrprw
Paul Maddison (left) and Mark Gardiner won over £22million in 1995Credit: Alamy
Paul Maddison died just months after his wife Evelyn died earlier this year at age 62
Paul Maddison died just months after his wife Evelyn died earlier this year at age 62
Paul Maddison and his ex-wife Ruth
Paul Maddison and his ex-wife RuthCredit: Doug Seeburg - The Sun

Paul, originally from East Sussex, moved to Perth after the pair split the money equally.

He is understood to have died on November 28, just months after his wife Evelyn died aged 62.

The former double-glazing firm boss moved to Perth to enjoy a quieter life after landing his £11million share of the fortune.

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But months later his marriage to his first wife Ruth fell apart after she left him for another man.

The dad-of-two moved into the luxury six-bedroom Lettertabor Lodge and hired Evelyn McGillivary to clean it.

The pair fell in love and married on a beach in Mauritius on Valentine's Day 1997.

Paul sold the lodge to a member of the Stagecoach family for £450,000 after forking out £10,000 fixing up the property.

The couple then bought 16th-century Robgill Tower near Dumfries for £650,000.

They lived a reclusive lifestyle, rarely being seen by their neighbours.

Locals in the nearby village of Kirtlebridge previously said they had rarely seen the pair come out of the 40-acre estate.

Paul had also installed security cameras, remote-controlled gates and an intercom immediately after moving in.

In 2008, the couple sold the tower for £2.8million and moved back to the Perth area.

Evelyn, a former florist said the house had been too big for them and it was time to downsize.

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She told the Record: "It has been a fabulous and very happy house but it has become too big for us.

"Sometimes we moved bedrooms just for a change but really it's time for the next part of the dream.

"We have done the big house thing.

"Now we want something more manageable.

"This house is lottery fantasy now.

"Maybe another winner will buy it."

Evelyn is understood to have died earlier this year following a health battle.

Publicity-shy Paul hit the headlines in 1999 after he sued a small laundrette over a tea-stained silk bedspread.

The lotto winner was seeking £953 in compensation after the dry cleaners didn't remove the stain and left it with a "pink tint".

But the shop argued staff had warned him efforts to remove the stain were done at his own risk given a lack of cleaning instructions for the bedspread.

It is unknown how this legal battle ended.

Earlier this year, joint winner Mark declined to say if he still spoke to Paul.

Mark still works for the double-glazing firm he worked for before the win and invested £2million in the company.

He was 32 when he split the £11million and spent some of his winnings on a home in Barbados and also bought his local football club in Hastings, East Sussex.

The 61-year-old said his secret to staying normal was that he kept working but he admitted there was things he might have done differently.

A Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service spokesperson said: "The Procurator Fiscal received a report in connection with the death of a 73-year-old man in Perth on 28 November 2023.

“Following investigation the Procurator Fiscal concluded that no further action was required.

"The family have been informed."

Iona Brownlie

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