The early release of a rapist who swindled £2.5million with a fake lottery ticket has angered friends of his late partner in crime.
Builder Eddie Putman, 58, served less than half of a nine-year prison sentence for forging a jackpot-winning ticket.
He had been assisted by Camelot employee Giles Knibbs, who committed suicide after Putman duped him out of his share of the ill-gotten gains.
An anguished friend of Mr Knibbs’ family said: “Giles is gone and Putman is free – how is that fair? Giles was exploited and took his own life.
“Now Putman has been freed and has the rest of his life ahead of him.”
Wilko announces huge change from today as it stops selling Lottery tickets
Accomplice Giles Knibbs died in 2015 (south bedsnews agency_sbna_fairl)
Damaged ticket the swindler used to claim £2.5million win (PA)Putman was convicted of the lottery con in 2019 and hit with a £939,000 confiscation order. Last year the Mirror told how Putman had paid off £94,000 before his home in Kings Langley, Herts, was seized by prosecutors.
The property eventually sold for £1.2million at auction. It means Putman could have £355,000 left after settling his debt. However, the court has the power to increase the value of the confiscation order.
The run-down house, near the M25 motorway, was damaged in a blaze in October 2022. The friend of Giles Knibbs’ family added: “They’ve never got to the bottom of what he did with the money. It’s horrific.”
Eddie Putman at the time of his 2019 trial for fraud (Vagner Vidal/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)Putman had previously been jailed for seven years for raping a pregnant 17-year-old girl in 1991. He met Mr Knibbs when he did building work at his family home and they struck up an unlikely friendship. They were said to have harboured dreams of property development and began working on deals.
They soon hatched a plot to steal £2.5million from March 11, 2009, which has still never been claimed. The actual winning ticket, with numbers 6, 9, 20, 21, 31 and 34, had been purchased at a Co-op store in Worcester.
On August 28, 2009, just before the 180-day claim deadline, Putman called Camelot to come forward as the winner. The brazen crook claimed he found the ticket under the seat of his van. It was missing its bottom part, which contained unique numbers.
Lottery conman’s house (Daily Mirror)The damaged forgery was accepted as authentic by Camelot even though it was missing a barcode. Putman avoided publicity following the jackpot win.
But he was unmasked in 2012 after he fraudulently claimed £13,000 in housing and income support and was jailed for nine months. His lottery fraud began to unravel on 5 October, 2015, when Mr Knibbs, 38, took his own life at Ivinghoe Beacon, Bucks.
It later emerged he had confessed to friends that he and Putman had “conned” the lottery. The two men had argued about how the ill-gotten gains were to be divided up. In June 2015, Putman had gone to the police alleging Mr Knibbs had threatened to reveal his previous conviction for the 1991 rape.
Despite Mr Knibbs’ suicide, Putman continued to splash the cash. Friends said he flew them out to Egypt for a sunshine break, doled out £500 wads of cash and bought expensive cars. Boastful Putman was reportedly fond of mimicking the Harry Enfield character Stanley, saying in a Brummie accent to friends: “I’m considerably richer than you.” But his lie unravelled and he was eventually convicted of fraud after a trial at St Albans crown court.
Alesha Dixon fans unsure on her outfit when hosting New Year’s Eve Big Bash
Jailing him, Judge Phillip Grey said the “sophisticated, carefully planned, and diligently operated fraud” struck at the heart of the integrity of the National Lottery. The judge told him: “You would have got away with this but quite plainly you were greedy.
“Whatever the exact monetary split you and Mr Knibbs had agreed, you did not pay him what split he felt he was owed. The two of you fell out spectacularly. This crime struck at the integrity of the National Lottery. You have also undermined the public’s trust in the lottery itself.”
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed yesterday that additional time was not added to Putman’s sentence for failing to settle the confiscation order. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Offenders released on licence are kept under close supervision and subject to strict conditions for the remainder of their sentence. They face recall to prison if they breach them.”
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
