Lotto Winner Remanded Over Threat Allegation

Money, it seems really can't buy you love – despite the Beatles iconic lyrics – it has emerged that the relationship between an Ulsterman who scooped £130,000 on the National Lottery and his girlfriend, reached such a low over sharing out the windfall that an alleged threat to kill was made.

Sean Paul Cruickshank, (37), a long distance lorry driver from Manorwood, Altnagelvin, in the Waterside area of Londonderry, is alleged to have told his girlfriend that he'd paid a man £10,000 to shoot her.

The defendant is charged with threatening to kill Denise Carlin earlier this week.

A police constable told Resident Magistrate W G McCourt that when arrested, charged and cautioned the defendant, he made no reply.

The police officer said that the defendant had won "a large some of money" in the National Lottery last November.

The officer told the court: "They were partners at the time and living together. There is a civil case ongoing in that Ms Carlin has taken Mr Cruickshank to court in order to claim half of the win.

"Mr Cruickshank has objected to this. That is the ongoing civil court matter and they separated last week," the officer said.

"She said during a phone call he became verbally abusive, aggressive and asked her to drop the case.

"She refused and the defendant told her if she did not drop the case, she would be shot."

The police witness said later the defendant spoke to Ms Carlin's father in a car outside his home.

As they were speaking, a car pulled up alongside with two men in it. The car pulled up in such a way that Ms Carlin's father was unable to exit from the car he was in.

She said that the defendant ordered Ms Carlin's father not to look at the two men in the other car.

"The defendant again became verbally aggressive and told the father that if Ms Carlin went ahead with the court case, she would not see any of the money and that she would be shot," the constable said.

Applying for bail, solicitor George Copeland said the defendant strenuously denied the charge. However, the Magistrate refused a bail application and described the charge as serious.

The defendant was remanded in custody until February 7, although a bail application is to be made in the High Court on Friday.

(BMcC)