National Lottery told me I won £1m jackpot but they refused to pay out – so I took them to court
A MUM who claimed National Lottery refused to pay out £1million in winnings has lost the latest stage of her High Court fight.
Joan Parker-Grennan, from Boston in Lincolnshire, is suing National Lottery operator Camelot for the prize after she took home just £10.
The High Court heard how Joan played online after buying an Instant Win Game ticket for £5 on August 25 2015.
Camelot says that “at the point” Mrs Parker-Grennan bought her ticket, its computer system predetermined her prize to be £10.
But Mr Justice Jay was told that between August 25 and 26 2015 there had been a “technical issue” which could result in “different graphical animations” being displayed on some players’ screens.
Two numbers with a designated prize of £10 were highlighted on Joan’s screen with a message saying: “Congratulations, you have won £10.”
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But the judge heard that two other matching numbers – with a designated prize of £1 million – also appeared as a result of the technical issue.
Mrs Parker-Grennan had said there should be summary judgment in her favour because Camelot could not win at a trial.
But lawyers representing Camelot said the summary judgment application should be dismissed as there was a "real prospect" of Camelot winning at a trial.
A judge on Tuesday dismissed Mrs Parker-Grennan's application.
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Barrister Philip Hinks, who led Camelot's legal team, argued that the operator was liable only to pay the "outcome of the ticket as predetermined" by Camelot's computer system.
He said that was £10, not £1 million.
Mr Hinks said there was a "substantial" factual dispute concerning what outcome had been predetermined by Camelot's computer system.
Barrister James Couser, who represented Mrs Parker-Grennan, had said there was "no real prospect of the claim being successfully defended".
It comes after a lottery winner from a council estate won a £10million jackpot before losing it all in tragic circumstances.
John McGuinness was working as a hospital porter when he won £10million in 1997.
Another EuroMillions winner has told how he finds his new lifestyle of mansions and supercars boring.
Neil Trotter, a mechanic from Coulsdon in south London, scooped a whopping £107.9m back in 2014 after telling all his friends and family that he would win big.