Cash splash by 2.4 mil lotto winner

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 posted 10:52 AM EDT

Gareth Cooper, 54, from Cwmbran, south Wales, said his horoscope had predicted he would be in for a change of fortune.

He plans a spending spree with wife Jenny, 49, and daughter Hannah, 17 - although he admitted he did not know he had won for three days after forgetting to check.

Last month, Llanelli's Bob Bradley and Swansea's Mike Staddon won jackpots.

The family plan to go on holiday, buy a new house and car and pay for Hannah's education with their winnings.

Mr Cooper, who admitted to struggling financially when he had to give up work five years ago, said his family have already worked out how they will spend their new-found wealth of £2,470,696.

"The first thing I will buy is a new car, and then we are going to look for a new house and book a holiday," said Mr Cooper.

"I've always wanted a Toyota 4x4 Truckman, so that is top of my list. Then we will look at buying a new house - and it will have to have some land as I've always wanted my own smallholding.

"I've got five dogs, which has kept me going since retirement, so it will be great to have more room for them."

Gareth Cooper didn't check his numbers for three days

Mrs Cooper, deputy head teacher at an infants' school, said the money would ensure they would not have to worry about putting Hannah through college next year when she hopes to study fashion.

Her husband had bought three lucky dips for the draw on Wednesday, 19 April after his wife had won £10 on an earlier draw.

"Normally I go to the shop and ask them to check the cards for me, but I wanted to get home to watch the rugby," said the Llanelli Scarlets fan.

"So I just had the numbers and when I got home I started to check the lines.

"I began checking and saw I had three numbers and thought 'Great, I've won £10', then I realised there was four numbers.

I could hear him trying to get my attention but I needed to sort out the (gas) bill so I thought he'll just have to wait

Jenny Cooper, jackpot winner's wife

"And then I stopped looking for a bit while I tried to set up the video to tape the rugby and I went back to the card about five minutes later. Then I realised I had all the numbers.

"I couldn't believe it," he said.

He ran up the stairs to tell his wife, who was on phone dealing with a gas bill.

"I could hear him trying to get my attention but I needed to sort out the bill so I thought he'll just have to wait," said Mrs Cooper.

He then went into his daughter's room to tell her his good news.

"I was listening to my iPod and he came in to say he'd won but I thought he was just lying and was trying to get me to come downstairs," said Hannah.

After he managed to persuade his wife and daughter they were millionaires, he went out to his nearest cash machine.

"I took out £200 - the most I could take out and just walked around with it in my pocket," he said.

"I didn't manage to spend it all that day either."

He said he read his horoscopes for his star sign of cancer daily, and it had suggested that he would soon be talking to people who wanted to hear what he said.

"And here I am talking to you," he joked.

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