- Michael Carroll (lottery winner)
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For other individuals of this same name, see Michael Carroll (disambiguation).
Michael Carroll (born 29 March 1983), born in Swaffham, Norfolk, UK, is a former binman who won £9.7 million[1] (then US$15.4m) on the National Lottery in November 2002, aged 19. His biography written by Sean Boru, entitled Careful What You Wish For (ISBN 1-844-54313-7), was published by John Blake Publishing in October 2006.[2] He enjoyed a celebrity status in the British media as the self-proclaimed King of Chavs, a phrase that he emblazoned on his black Mercedes van. He spent his multi-million fortune on things such as illegal drugs, gambling, and prostitutes over the next few years before going back to the £42 a week in jobseeker's allowance he had been claiming before. He expressed no regrets.[3]
Contents
Pre-Lotto
Michael Carroll was born to Kim, who worked in a canning factory and Andy, an RAF engineer. When Carroll was only 18 months old, his father was sent away for 11 years to a military prison, for stabbing a couple after getting into a fight at a dance. His parents separated when he was seven-years-old. His father died of a heart-attack when he was 10-years-old. He had a few step-fathers, one of whom would lock him in his room for hours after hitting him. Carroll claimed he was dyslexic, had ADHD, and was barely literate by the time he finished secondary school.[4] When Carroll was only 13, he received a custodial sentence for shoplifting. He was sent to the Hollesley Bay Prison in Suffolk where he says he finally learned to read and write. Before Carroll turned 18-years-old, he was in a young offenders institute for 2 months, a sentence for aggravated vehicle taking. He also had other run-ins with the law for driving without a licence, assaulting a police officer and breaking into a village phone box. When Carroll won the Lottery at the age of 19, he had been unemployed since working at a chocolate factory months before.[5] At the time, Carroll never had a bank account, and tried opening one up at Coutts, but the bank refused his application. He thought it was because he had a criminal record.[4]
Celebrity status
Soon after winning the jackpot, Carroll claimed he would not be tempted into spending his money lavishly and only wanted to buy a 3-bedroom house near a lake, where he can go fishing. He also claimed the many criminal offences of his past would not happen again and his anti-social behaviour was behind him.[6] [5] Weeks after winning Lotto, Carroll was fined £1,320 after boarding trains without buying tickets.[6]
As a multi-millionaire, the self-proclaimed "king of chavs,"[7] known by the press as the "Lotto Lout",[8]immediately bought four houses, a holiday villa in Spain, two convertible BMWs along with two Mercedes-Benz cars and several quad bikes. Sources close to him claim that Carroll, who wears a large amount of gold jewelry, and has been in constant trouble with the law for using drugs and committing other crimes, has spent "untold thousands" on substance abuse.[1]
In 2005, Carroll participated in a celebrity boxing match where he was apparently defeated by Mark Smith, formerly a star of TV show Gladiators under the name Rhino, but the fight was officially declared a draw by the judges.[9]
Also in 2006, he was the subject of the documentary Michael Carroll: King of Chavs.
While living at his mansion, 5 of his Rottweilers were found dead with their throats cut. He paid he £130,000 to blackmailers who threatened his family. He said the men came with shotguns and said "You aren't so big now are you, Mr. Carroll?". He took off in his car and he never went back to Swaffham, he claimed. He ended up returning to Downham Market.[4]
In 2010, he appeared as a fictionalised version of himself in the controversial movie Killer Bitch. He has now spent all his money and is currently working as a binman in England
Personal life
Carroll proudly sports a tattoo of the Northern Irish paramilitary organisation Ulster Defence Association and, as a fan of Rangers FC, invested up to a million pounds of his winnings via Rangers Financial Management, from whom the football club receive a share of profits on the financial services they sell.[10]
He is currently estranged from his wife Sandra Aiken and daughter Brooke and has had a child with hairdresser girlfriend Gemma Peake.[11]
In early August of 2011, he tried committing suicide twice, once by hanging, when he was saved by a friend. Most recently he also tried slicing his throat with a craft knife. [12] The emergency ambulance went to him, treated him for cuts and he was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital but was discharged after refusing treatment.[13]
Legal issues
In June 2005, Carroll was given an asbo by the court after finding that he had been catapulting steel balls from his Mercedes van, when he was drunk, which resulted in breaking 32 car and shop windows, around Downham Market. Carroll lived at Downham Market at the time. He was sentenced with 240 hours of community service and a warning he could face jail time if he didn't adhere to the asbo.[14] In February 2006, he was jailed for nine months for affray. It was noted in court while being sentenced, that since 1997, Carroll had 42 previous offences on his record.[15]
Carroll had reportedly spent almost his entire fortune within 18 months on extravagant houses, cars for demolition derby races in his back garden, and gold jewellery. Later convicted of cocaine possession, it was claimed he has only £500,000 left.[1]
In 2004, he was banned from driving for six months after being caught at the wheel of his new £49,000 BMW without L-plates and insurance.[16]
Finances
One smart investment Carroll made with advice was to set up a £3.9 million investment bond, which generated monthly income. He was advised to use this account only if funds from a regular account was gone. Once withdrawals are made from the bond, however, huge penalty fees were deducted, besides the amount of the withdrawal. Carroll, who was very generous to family and friends, gave his mother, aunt and a sister £1 million each,[4] and claimed by September of 2003, he had to start living off the bond. Below is some explanation of where his money went, with the withdrawal amount and the penalty fee noted:
- 28/10/03, £200,000 (£16,216): He claimed he needed £70,000 to bail his mother out of jail, which was never paid back.
- 25/3/04, £37,035 (£2,363): Carroll stated he gave this to friends who might have lost their home and they never contacted him again.
- 8/4/04, £10,000 (£638): He said he bought a BMW Z3, but does not know where it is and thought he probably lent it to someone and forgot.
- 1/10/04, £100,000 (£6,383): Carroll claimed he lent £50,000 to a friend to start a business. He said he was supposed to get some of the profits, but never received a penny.
- 2/11/04, £100,035 (£6,385): Carroll bought 20 cars for his banger racing, and a car-carrier, of which he used on land of his own, near his house.
- 24/11/04, £100,000 (£6,382): He claimed he lent another £50,000 to another friend. The rest he spent on partying, clothes, and bills for his large number friends.
- 12/5/04, £50,000 (£3,191): He said he had a huge party with 99 people over several consecutive days. He said there were more women there than men, and he had sex with every woman there, as a condition of them being a guest. He bought drugs, food, alcohol, and a gold chain for each of the women.
- 30/3/05, £100,035 (£4,713): He lent £50,000 to another friend, and spent £50,000 on parties and clothes. He claimed by this time he was also paying "wages" to an entourage who did nothing except accompany him round the town, do drugs with him, and defraud and steal things from him.[8]
Shortly after being released from prison at the end of June 2006, Carroll took out a loan in order to keep his houses and maintain his "party lifestyle".[17] The BBC reported that he is almost broke, having spent his fortune on new homes, drugs, parties, jewellery and cars.[18]
In August 2006, Carroll denied rumours that he had no money left.[19]
However as of February 2010, he revealed that he was back on Jobseeker's Allowance, having spent all of his money on crack cocaine, gambling, his family and friends, electronic goods, cars, prostitutes and gold.[3]
On 18 February 2010, he was declared bankrupt, with his heavily damaged mansion being put up for sale.[3] The mansion in Swaffham, Norfolk, which he bought for £340,000 and put an additional £400,000 into, by putting in a swimming pool and jacuzzi, was sold for only £142,000 because it was so severely damaged.[20]
In May 2010 he applied for his old job as a binman, but says he has no regrets about the way in which he spent his winnings.[21]
In August 2011 he attempted to commit suicide. [12]
See also
References
- ^ a b c This is London. "UK Lottery Winner Nearly Broke". http://www.lotterypost.com/news-87238.htm. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ Careful What You Wish For by Mikey Caroll with Sean Boru Barnes and Noble
- ^ a b c 'Lotto lout' Michael Carroll back on the dole after squandering his £9.7m on drugs and prostitutes Mail Online, 8 February 2010
- ^ a b c d "Who wants to be a millionaire?". The Independent. Oct 22nd, 2006. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-420784.html.
- ^ a b Gysin, Christian. "The £9m joyrider". dailymail.co.uk. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-146024/The-9m-joyrider.html. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ^ a b Mills, James. "£9m Lotto lout fined £1,320 for dodging fares". dailymall.co.uk. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-148669/9m-Lotto-lout-fined-1-320-dodging-fares.html. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ Independent News and Media Limited (22 October 2006). "Who wants to be a millionaire?". The Independent. London. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article1903109.ece. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ a b Perry, John (Oct 5th, 2006). "The lout who blew the lotto". thesun.co.uk. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article65922.ece.
- ^ Mcgurran, Aidan. Lout gets thrashed in the ring. The Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15595422&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=lout-gets-thrashed-in-the-ring-name_page.html. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ Thomas Crosbie Media. "'Lotto lout' invests in Gers". http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/10/06/story116240.asp. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ O'Shea, Gary (15 October 2007). "Lottery lout is chavin' a baby". London: The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article340160.ece. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
- ^ a b Parker, Nick (Aug 16th, 2011). "Suicide bids by Lotto's Carroll". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3753994/Suicide-bids-by-Lottos-Michael-Carroll.html.
- ^ Bishop, Chris (Aug 16th, 2011). "Downham Market lottery winner Michael Carroll is rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn with a neck wound". edp24.co.uk. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/downham_market_lottery_winner_michael_carroll_is_rushed_to_queen_elizabeth_hospital_in_king_s_lynn_with_a_neck_wound_1_995212.
- ^ Sapsted, David (June 29th, 2005). "King of Chavs gets ASBO". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1492981/King-of-Chavs-gets-Asbo.html.
- ^ BBC News (10 February 2006). Nine months for Lotto millionaire. BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/4699870.stm. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ Johnston Press Digital Publishing. "Lotto winner ordered to do unpaid work". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070929094035/http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=991&ArticleID=506145. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ Kelly, Tom (13 July 2006). Lotto lout facing bankruptcy. London: Mail Online. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=395562&in_page_id=1770. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ £9m lottery winner 'almost broke'. BBC News. 13 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/5177682.stm. Retrieved 21 May 2007
- ^ Exclusive: Michael Carroll talks BBC Radio Norfolk, 14 August 2006
- ^ Martin, Arthur (Aug 10th, 2010). "Lotto lout Michael Carroll sells his wrecked party mansion... for a loss of £600,000". dailymail.co.uk. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1301508/Lotto-lout-Michael-Carroll-sell-wrecked-mansion-600-000-loss.html.
- ^ Lotto winner Michael Carroll wants bin job back BBC News, 19 May 2010
Categories:- 1983 births
- Living people
- 21st-century criminals
- English criminals
- Lottery winners
- People from Swaffham
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