Police probe into young lottery winner death
Also In The News
|
By Alistair Potter. |  |
Thursday, 07, Jan 2010 02:34
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
Police in Scotland are said to have launched an investigation after a young lottery jackpot winner was found dead.
Early investigations suggest there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Stuart Donnelly, 29, who won £2 million in 1997 at the age of just 17.
Mr Donnelly was found dead at his home in Castle Douglas, in Dumfries and Galloway, on Wednesday. He was one of the youngest people to ever win the lottery jackpot in the UK when he shared a prize of £25 million with 13 other people.
Mr Donnelly was known for toasting his win with a soft drink, because he was too young to legally drink at the time of the win. He spent his winnings on a new home for his parents, an executive seat at Celtic Park, and also donated money to a Glasgow hospital which treated his little brother for a genetic disorder.
However, in 2003 he was quoted in an interview as saying the win had been a "huge strain", adding, "It was very hard to deal with all the attention I got. I even had people camping outside my house".
Messages were left for Mr Donnelly on his Bebo site after the news of his death broke, reading:
Fordpockets: so sorry to hear about stuart he will be sorely missed from brian ford
Adele Drennan: Rest In Peace! xx
Sir Orricle: My god stuart!! can't believe your gone :'( im gonna miss you a hell of alot man!! R.I.P