News
Bolton men jailed after trying to claim £4m scratch card bought with someone else’s money
The men celebrated their ‘win’ with champagne and cocktails before being caught out by police
Two men from Bolton have been jailed after they attempted to cash out on a £4 million winning scratch card bought using someone else’s money.
This week, Mark Goodram, thirty-eight, and Jon Watson, thirty-four, admitted to using stolen debit card details to purchase the winning scratch card from a Waitrose store in the Clapham area of London.
Bolton Crown Court heard how the pair, who were both on licence at the time following prison sentences, had travelled down to the capital on April 22nd 2019, where they intended to go begging as ‘there was more money to be made’ there than there was in their home town.
There, they purchased the winning scratch card and immediately contacted the operator of the National Lottery, Camelot, to claim the winnings.
Mark Goodram / Facebook
However, Goodram almost instantly gave himself away by letting slip to the phone operator that he didn’t have a bank account for the winnings to be transferred into. Suspicions were raised and, the very next day, Camelot investigator Stephen Long rang Goodram back to enquire about the card used to make the purchase.
Goodram told Long that the bank card belong to his ‘friend’ who ‘owed him money’, but could not provide details on the cardholder’s full name or address, fuelling suspicions even further.
While the investigation was getting underway, however, both men sold the story of their win to The Sun, where they claimed they had spent the last four days celebrating with champagne and cocktail-fuelled parties.
They even hired celebrity lawyer Henry Hendron to try and get Camelot to release the £4m, which was held pending while the investigation got underway.
Jon Watson / Facebook
Their efforts were all in vain, however; Camelot’s investigation was eventually passed to the police who found that the scratch card had been bought fraudulently, using card details belonging to a man named Joshua Addiman.
It was also found that the men had spent £71.78 on the card in Waitrose as well as £90.56 in a Clapham Londis, all of which was reimbursed back to Addiman, Bolton Crown Court heard.
Yesterday, both men were jailed for eighteen months after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud. Goodram was then given an extra month for breaching his bail, taking his total sentence to nineteen months.
Prosecution barrister Denise Fitzpatrick described the case as ‘very unusual’ and said: “There was little prospect of success but that is due to the rigorous checks of Camelot rather than anything done by the defendants.”
Rept0n1x / Wikimedia Commons
Defence barrister Robin Kitching said that Goodram has a ‘long-standing addiction to drugs and alcohol’ and that he is ‘essentially homeless’, while Watson’s lawyer Nick Ross said the money was only ever ‘fantasy money’.
He told the court: “When that figure popped up they were in total disbelief.”
Ross added that since the incident and due to the media coverage, Watson has become the subject of ridicule, adding that Watson has ‘had enough of crime’ and describing the incident as a ‘turning point’.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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