Lottery 'loser' boyfriend, 39, who is fighting his ex

Release time：2024-04-20 11:49:01 Source：Global Gist news portal

A lottery 'loser' fighting his estranged girlfriend for half of her £1million scratch card winnings has today been found guilty of assaulting another former girlfriend during a blazing row.

Michael Cartlidge, 39, had denied attacking his former partner of eight years Crystal Neary-Phillips and smashing up her iPhone 12 and threatening to kill her during an argument at her home last year.

The attack happened on April 15 last year - six months before he claimed to have scooped a joint jackpot with new girlfriend, Charlotte Cox.

After being convicted of one of two charges at Lincoln Magistrates' Court, Cartlidge told MailOnline: 'I'm disappointed with the outcome - justice doesn't feel right to me.'

The unemployed security engineer from Spalding, Lincolnshire, is embroiled in a legal war with Ms Cox, 37, after claiming they bought a winning Lotto scratch card together only for her to dump him weeks later and claim the prize for herself.

Michael Cartlidge, who has been fighting an estranged girlfriend for half of her £1million scratch card winnings, was found guilty of attacking another former partner 

Mr Cartlidge had denied attacking Crystal Neary-Phillips, pictured, and threatening to kill her during an argument at her home last year

Cartlidge has been battling Charlotte Cox, 37, over a £1million scratch card ticket that he claims that they bought 'together' before splitting up weeks later

He admits that the mother-of-one paid for and scratched the ticket but claims that he suggested the idea to buy one and later transferred her the cash to cover the purchase

He said she initially agreed to share the money, but after walking out on him changed her mind.

He has heard Ms Cox has since moved on with a new partner, saying: 'Good luck to her. I'm unemployed at the moment and living off benefits and I just want the Lotto money I believe I'm entitled to.'

In an unrelated case, prosecutor Denis Quinn told the court how Cartlidge had a 'furious row' with his then partner Miss Neary-Phillips after turning up drunk at her Spalding flat where he was also living on the night of April 15 last year.

The couple rowed over money and a half drunk bottle of wine - and the argument spilled into the next day when Cartlidge returned after spending the night at a pal's house.

EXCLUSIVERead More: Boyfriend Claiming Half of Ex-Girlfriend's £1m Lottery Scratch Card Winnings

Miss Neary-Phillips, giving evidence in person, said: 'We were arguing over money because we didn't have any money.

'He owed someone some money and that person kept messaging me and he was trying to get my phone off me and I was shouting at him to stop and calm down.'

She said he picked up the iPhone 12 - she described as her 'lifeline' and threw it against a wall, badly smashing it.

He also threatened to kill her, raging: 'I am going to f****g kill you, I promise I am going to kill you' she said in her evidence.

He further threatened to harm her two beloved cats and grabbed one of the animals.

She recalled: 'He said he was going to flush the cat down the toilet and then he threw the cat.'

Cartlidge later grabbed her right arm and pushed her as she was fleeing down some outside concrete steps from her maisonette flat, causing her injury and bruising.

Police had been called on the first night and Ms Neary-Phillips 'very distressed' 12-year-old son was taken by officers to stay with her sister and her family.

Cartlidge was warned to stay away but returned the next day, letting himself in with his key, when the assault happened and he was arrested.

The victim said the incident was 'horrendous' and whilst she was bruised and grazed she didn't require hospital treatment.

She said she was devastated when she saw he'd smashed up phone which was 'nearly bent in two.'

Miss Neary-Phillips, with long blonde hair and dressed in black, told the court she had ended her relationship with the defendant afterwards.

He claims that Ms Cox initially agreed to share the money from the scratch card with him but that, but that after walking out on him she changed her mind

Lottery chiefs Camelot had previously launched an investigation, which included reviewing CCTV footage from a Nisa local where the ticket was purchased. New lottery owners Allwyn have now ruled that Ms Cox is the rightful claimant

Giving evidence himself, Cartlidge - wearing shorts, T-shirt and trainers - denied assaulting his girlfriend and smashing her phone.

He admitted they had a row over a bottle of wine and she went 'crazy' and had thrown the phone at him, damaging it.

He claimed she had tripped down the steps and he had grabbed her arm to stop her falling and that she had 'set him up.'

He pleaded not guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage.

District Judge Peter Veits described Ms Neary-Phillips as a 'very credible witness' who was 'not shaken' by cross examination by defence lawyer Julian Atkinson, while he found the defendant's 'explanation a little bit hard to believe.'

He convicted him of assault giving him a conditional discharge of one year for previous good behaviour.

He issued a restraining order for one year, warning he is not allowed to contact the victim.

The judge dismissed the criminal damage charge saying there was no way to prove who had damaged the phone.

Cartlidge escaped anytime but was ordered to pay £200 of the £600 prosecution costs and a surcharge of £26.

He did not awarded any compensation to the victim as the injury was comparatively minimal.

Cartlidge hit the headlines in February after revealing how he was battling another ex-girlfriend for half of her Lotto winnings.

Lottery chiefs Camelot previously launched an investigation — which included viewing CCTV footage from a Nisa supermarket in Spalding, where the winning scratch card was bought.

Cartlidge had been hopeful that the money would be split but new Lottery owners Allwyn have now ruled that Ms Cox is the rightful claimant.

At the time he told The Sun: 'I am in shock. I can openly admit that we wouldn't have got that ticket without Charlotte, but she wouldn't have got it without me either.

'I know it was her bank account that paid for it, but it should go 50-50 morally.'

Ms Cox, however, has hit back at the 'rubbish' claims with a friend saying: 'You can't believe a word that man says.'

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