County Fermanagh couple scoop £3.8M Lotto win

A Co Fermanagh couple have won almost £4million in a pre-Christmas lottery draw.

Delivery driver Jonny Johnston and his partner Christina Williams became multi-millionaires after matching all six numbers on 16 December.

The couple raised a glass and celebrated their life changing win on Thursday 28 December at the Culloden Estate and Spa.

Ticket-holder Jonny, 45, was making Christmas deliveries for his employer, Tesco, on his lucky day.

After his shift, he was enjoying a festive night out with colleagues when an email from the National Lottery informed him there was "good news about his ticket".

Suspecting he had won a Lucky Dip, he went to bed as normal.

After being prompted to check the app again the next morning Johnston and his partner realised this was no ordinary win.

The lucky winner said: “I was sitting on the edge of the bed on Sunday morning trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

"I just kept staring at the numbers on my account. I thought maybe I had won £38,000 but then there were too many zeros.

"I passed the phone to Christina for her to check and she was in disbelief too.

"We both began to think that it was a trick, a scam even! We decided we had better call Camelot and double-check.”

After the win was confirmed the couple told their family.

Jonny said: “The kids were silent at first, looking at both of us in disbelief. And then the screaming and shouting started and everyone was jumping around the kitchen, cheering! Seeing as it was still early, we popped the kettle on and toasted the amazing news with a cup of coffee!”

Jonny still had another festive shift to work. Rather than leaving his colleagues and customers in the lurch, he made his deliveries ensuring everyone had their turkeys in time for Christmas.

The couple plan to use their new found fortune to provide financial security for their family

Jonny, has also said he will splurge on a holiday to spend some quality time with his loved ones.

“I would love for us all to go to the Caribbean, maybe on a cruise as it sounds and looks incredible. We have never had a family holiday together. I just need to apply for my passport first”, he said.

He added: "I'm still in disbelief. This is a dream come true for me and my family. I've always worked hard, and this win will allow us to do things we could only ever have dreamt of before. I am incredibly grateful and still trying to wrap my head around it all.”

Since the lottery launched in 1994, it has made 174 millionaires in Northern Ireland - 36 of them in the last three years.

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