The pair, revealed today as Fred and Lesley Higgins from Laurencekirk, almost missed out on their huge cash prize after the store gaffe
A RETIRED Aberdeenshire couple who bagged a £58million lottery windfall almost missed out on their cash when the winning ticket was BINNED by a cashier.
Fred, 67, and Lesley Higgins, 57, were the lucky EuroMillions ticket holders who won the entire jackpot and have gone public with news of their win today.
The pair, who have been married for 35 years, managed to predict the right numbers in the draw on July 10 to take home £57,975,367.
That makes them richer than pop star Harry Styles, actress Emma Watson and singer Ed Sheeran.
But the couple almost missed out on their huge cash prize when a shopkeeper mistakenly tore their ticket in two before realising it was a winner.
Fred said: “I handed the ticket over and the young man put it through the machine, telling me it wasn’t a winner.
"He ripped the ticket in two and threw it into the bin, as they would with all non-winning tickets. But this time, the terminal produced a chitty which said I needed to retain my ticket and call Camelot.
"The retailer immediately grabbed it out of the bin and handed it to me, not realising it was a winner before he discarded it."
And Fred, a retired Audi administrator, joked his wife slept through all the drama of their torn ticket.
He said: “The ticket had been torn in two but all the numbers were still clear so I took it back home to make the call.
"Lesley was snoozing so I thought I would look at the website to double-check the numbers and sure enough, the first matched, then the second matched, match, match – we had them all.
“When Lesley woke, I explained we had a winning ticket and what had happened.
"I showed her the numbers, asked her to check and she misread them, thinking we were £5.7m richer rather than an amazing £57m.
After being advised that because of the tear, processing it was a little more complicated and the win would need a little more investigation, the security team came out to see the couple and chat to the store to check the course of events and look at the CCTV footage.
But despite the nerve-wracking delay, Fred said he felt very calm throughout the whole ordeal.
He added: "I think it was just sinking in – so I then called Camelot and explained what had happened.
“I wasn’t ever concerned that we wouldn’t get the money as I knew it was a honest mistake – it just had to be looked at to make sure everything was correct."
With the money in the bank, the couple have already made their first purchase – a brand new Audi Cabriolet.
As well as another motor, possibly a BMW or a Jaguar, they are looking at how they can use the money for years to come.
The couple have always dreamed of living abroad.
And Lesley has already handed in her notice from her role as Account Manager at the Montrose Port Authority.
Fred said: "We love Gozo, which is where my niece lives, so we always thought we would get somewhere out there.
"But I have to say since we won, I’ve got my eye on somewhere in France and Lesley seems to be looking at property in Barbados. I think it might be fun to explore a few places before we commit to buying anything.”
As well as maybe taking up some new hobbies – Fred likes the sound of golf – they are keen to look after those close to them, including their daughter, and will definitely support some charities, but it is too early to say at the moment.
He added: “It is our wedding anniversary on 20 August and my birthday a couple of days later, so I think a celebration is in order before we decide what comes next.”
The couple bought and checked their winning ticket at Scotmid, High Street, Laurencekirk and the winning EuroMillions numbers from the draw on 10 July were 3, 8, 26, 33, 45 and the two Lucky Stars were 7 and 10.
The pair won £57,975,367 from the July 10 draw.
A Camelot spokesperson said: “We are so glad to be able to pay Fred and Lesley this amazing sum. It is essential that we ensure we are paying the rightful ticket-holder, and in situations like this, it can take a little time for these investigations to be completed.”
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