petty criminals winning the lottery

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karma sucks! some 19 year old guy played the lottery for the first time at the weekend and won £9 million - but he's been in court for a string of civil offences including joyriding and token vandalism - part of me (the bitter, jealous but morally old codger part) wishes to begrudge the guy his winnings cos it seems unfair after the nuisance (ableit minor) he's caused to society...then again, it appears this windfall will set him on the straight and narrow as he no longer should feel the need to commit crimes. his girlfriend is also preggers so it must be a big relief for them in that respect. i just hope he's not cocky about the whole thing and doesnt act like an arrogant but now rich git

does this kind of thing piss you off or do you wish 'good luck to him'? should winnings be held back or even cut down if the winner turns out to be a criminal (what if he'd been a rapist or murderer for example?)?

just thinking out loud here

― blueski, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:19 (twenty-three years ago)

The prosecution probably could sum up the costs of his crimes -- perhaps the winnings could be seized to pay back the victims?

― j.lu (j.lu), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:22 (twenty-three years ago)

he could at least offer to pay back whatever damage he has caused to people and their property huh? thats up to his own conscience of course...or the law could make him, heh heh

― blueski, Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:24 (twenty-three years ago)

IT'S A LOTTERY!!!

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:35 (twenty-three years ago)

good luck to him,

if we allow him to buy a ticket, then he should be allowed to win.

if we dont allow him a ticket, then why not?

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:37 (twenty-three years ago)

When he realised what he'd done he cried and thought about his dead dad, so maybe he's a good bloke deep down. It still amazes me that lottery winners want to have press conferences and publicity and stuff though - that's asking for trouble, non?

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:38 (twenty-three years ago)

He was being electronically tagged at the time which government sez = being locked up in prison but they don't have lottery machine in prison else I would have seen one on Bad Girls. But the point made above about the victims of his crime being able to sue for compensation suddenly becomes interesting (most petty criminals have negligable assets so it normally wouldn't arise).

He would not have been allowed to win Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:50 (twenty-three years ago)

they shd not restrict the lottery they shd expand it (cf borges)

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:54 (twenty-three years ago)

what would borges want with a lottery?

― Mark C (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 15:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd imagine he'd want to win it. But - and here is the big but - you've got to be in it to win it.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 16:11 (twenty-three years ago)

borges said everyone shd be in it, whether they knew it or not: and the prizes should range from splendid fortunes overnight to ruin and imprisonment

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Elias Cannetti:
'A special type of lightning bolt, that strikes only misers, and wipes out all their possessions.'

(or something like that)

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Tuesday, 5 November 2002 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

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petty criminals winning the lottery - classic or dud?