Court Awards Couple $21m Lotto Max Prize
A couple who saw their $21 million Lotto Max jackpot win challenged in court were finally able to receive the full payout, after a judge rejected claims that the win should have gone to someone else.
Scott and Linda Sinclair were thrilled to learn of their $21 million Canadian lottery win and rushed to cash in their ticket several weeks ago. However, they were only given 90% of the money, with the rest kept in trust before a court of law could hear claims by Doreen Stewart that the money was actually hers.
Stewart filed a statement saying that a man she once worked for, Eric Leipert, was actually the real winner of the lottery. According to Stewart, the man had once promised her a cut of any future lottery wins and when he supposedly hit the Lotto Max jackpot, he passed the ticket onto the Sinclairs so that he wouldn't have to pay her.
According to Stewart, the Sinclairs and Leipert know each other well.
Judge Rejects Lotto Max Claim
The ruling judge, however, didn't buy Stewart's tale and struck down the claim, saying that it "lacks merit" and that awarding any money to her would be an "abuse of the process of the court".
The relieved Sinclairs walked smiling out of court. "Very thrilled; it was huge," said Scott Sinclair. "It's been ongoing for two months now. It's just been one thing after another."
The couple's lawyer, Jordan Hardy, said that the judge had ordered the remaining $2.1 million held in trust to be paid out to the Sinclair's immediately, since there was "no real evidence" in the claim against the win.
The judge also said that Steward's claim was based on "suspicion and suspicion alone".
"I hope not everybody has to go through what we've had to do with our family and now we can actually tell our story to our families and friends," said Sinclair.
The couple are still adjusting to the fact that they are multimillionaires 21 times over. "It's been great and it will get better from this day forward," he added.
Bitter Steward Leaves Court
With the $21 million Lotto Max prize awarded, a bitter Doreen Stewart left the court after the judge threw out her case, and said to the waiting press: "I'm the only one telling the truth, but you know what, God knows and that's what matters. I don't want that filthy money."
