A man from Kings Langley who won £2.5million on the National Lottery appeared in court accused of faking the winning ticket.
Edward Putman, 53, made his first appearance in the Crown Court following a three year police investigation.
In a preliminary hearing, his barrister Lawrence Selby told St Albans Crown Court that Mr Putman would be making an application to dismiss the charge.
In October, Mr Putman appeared before magistrates to plead not guilty to fraud by false representation, namely that he produced a fraudulent National Lottery ticket intending to make a gain for himself in the sum of £2,525,484.
Appearing on November 26, he was not required to enter a plea and the court heard that an application to dismiss the charge against him is likely to be heard in February next year.
Mr Putman, of Station Road, King’s Langley in Herts, was paid out just over two and a half million pounds in 2009.
It related to a lottery draw on March 11 of that year when the winning numbers were 6, 9, 20, 21, 31 and 34 on a ticket bought in the Malvern or Worcester areas of Worcestershire.
However, six years later in 2015, Camelot – the lottery operator – was fined £3million for paying out the claim.
Also in 2015, Hertfordshire Police’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit began an investigation into the claim.
Mr Putman was told that if his application to dismiss the case against him is unsuccessful on February 7, he will be required to provide a defence case statement on that day.
His trial, which is likely to last between five and seven days, was fixed for April 23 next year.
He was granted unconditional bail.
Picture courtesy of Herts Police
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