A COUNTY Down bank worker saw his life change in a matter of seconds recently as became a millionaire from a National Lottery scratchcard.
Martin McKenna, 35, bought the Millionaire 777 Red Scratchcard at Tesco Knocknagoney on a whim when out shopping. After winning £20 on the first card he bought, Martin didn’t expect any further luck with his second scratchcard.
Speaking of the shock of winning £1,000,000, he said: “I couldn’t shake the idea that someone was pranking me and that the scratchcard wasn’t real. I left the queue and continued my shopping as I tried to process what was going on. I simply couldn’t believe that this was really happening.
“When I look back now I think I was in shock. So I asked the cashier if the scratchcards they sold were all real to which he replied that they were all genuine. It was then I revealed to him that I thought I’d just won a lot of money.”
Martin’s next thought was about how he would break the news to his girlfriend, Ceri.
He explained: “As soon I walked through the door she was holding a big pot of spaghetti so I told her to put it down, that I had some news for her.
“She saw by my face that something wasn’t right and immediately thought I had something bad to tell her. However, when I told her that I’d just won £1,000,000 on a scratchcard she just couldn’t believe it – in fact she didn’t.”
In a bid to convince his girlfriend that the scratchcard was genuine, he asked her to invite trusted friends to their home who could verify the win.
“She asked me to text a couple of friends of ours but I didn’t tell them why I wanted them to pop round. When they arrived and looked at the scratchcard their reaction too was complete disbelief.
“However, after a few moments the news really sunk in with them all. We couldn’t even shout and scream with joy as our young son was asleep upstairs in bed – but believe me we were screaming on the inside.”
Martin has big plans for his winnings. He said: “I want to buy a new house, clear my debts and treat my family and friends. I’ve also always wanted to own a Volkswagen car so I will be visiting a showroom as soon as I can to buy one for myself and one for Ceri.”
The Millionaire 777 Red Scratchcard offers a 1 in 3.49 overall chance of winning. The card costs £5 and prizes range from £5 up to the top prize of £1,000,000.