Demise of UK's first big lottery winner – love child, divorce and unmarked grave

Mukhtar Mohidin was the UK's first big lotto winner, bagging an £18million jackpot at the age of 42 in 1994 - but his life took a tragic turn when the publicity and money went to his head

The life of Mukhtar Mohidin, the UK's first major lottery winner, ended in tragedy despite winning a staggering £18million jackpot. Mukhtar, who was 42 at the time of his winnings, made headlines in November 1994 when he became the first National Lottery rollover winner.

November 19 will see the National Lottery celebrate its 30th anniversary, since Mukhtar won the first draw three decades ago. He had bought the ticket with £4 left over after paying £50 in rent, a stroke of luck that turned him into a household name.

Mukhtar bought the ticket in Tesco, bagging the fortune for his wife and three children who lived in a terraced house in Blackburn, Lancashire. The money transformed his life, but ultimately led to his downfall.

Mukhtar arrived in the UK in the seventies, with his wife earning £100 a week in the local factory. The cash that bought the winning ticket was provided by his tenant, Ismail Lorgat, who handed him £50 to pay a £46 electricity bill in that fateful week in December 1994, and told him to spend the £4 change on the exciting new Lottery.

Mukhtar had been renting out a workshop to Ismail at the time. Ismail, who runs a Blackburn kitchen business, still recalls his words, as he urged his landlord to have a flutter: "I’ve been very lucky all my life. Don’t stop dreaming."

The agreement was that the pair would split the money, which Mukhtar decided against once he received his fortune. Ismail did take out a writ, served on the grounds they had a verbal contract, and says a Mohidin relative offered him £50,000 as a settlement. Mukhtar's life quickly spiraled out of control as the lump sum of money was deposited in his new Yorkshire Bank account.

The former factory worker faced rejection from his Muslim community who refused his charitable donations because gambling conflicted with Islamic beliefs, leading to him packing up his family and moving them to the Home Counties away from Blackburn. Isolated and hurt, Mukhtar was also abandoned by his family when he chose a life of prostitutes and gambling.

Rows ensued as relatives fought for a chunk of the cash. Eventually, around a dozen relatives received £100,000 each.

Once a working-class family man living in Lancashire, with his wife Sayeeda and their three children, Mukhtar soon left that life behind. His new wealth brought tension, particularly over finances.

Mukhtar reportedly clashed with Sayeeda over her purchase of a £90,000 car and his reluctance to cover private school fees for their children despite his huge win. By 1998, their marriage ended in divorce.

His family vanished as they changed their names, with his wife obtaining a court injunction to prevent their children being identified as they struggled with the newfound fame. Mr Mohidin issued a High Court writ to stop his wife securing half the money following the divorce.

She countered with a writ, issued under the Married Women’s Property Act, claiming a joint share of cash. The wrangle appeared to have been settled when he conceded they could have a joint bank account, with every cheque requiring both their signatures.

In reality this did not resolve the matter, for whenever he disapproved of a purchase she wished to make, he would refuse to sign. According to one source, she received a £5 million settlement, plus possession of the house and £60,000 per year in maintenance for each of their children.

A relative described Mukhtar's purchase of a £100,000 Mercedes as a tit-for-tat spending battle with his ex-wife. He quickly ditched his full name and reinvented himself as "Mike".

Mukhtar attempted to portray himself as a wealthy investment banker who would visit London's high-end casinos and spend thousands on luxury escorts. Among those escorts was Charlotte Doyle, a 24-year-old escort who charged £800 a night and later became the mother of his child in 2002.

But this marriage was also doomed, ending in violent threats and physical abuse, according to Charlotte. Charlotte told the Daily Mail at the time: "During a holiday in Portugal he battered me round the head so badly that I had to see a doctor. He would even threaten to kill me. He’d stroke my face menacingly and say 'for £100,000 I could have you killed, darling'."

His once glamorous life further derailed when he was spotted living in a £35-per-night hotel in Blackpool after spending all his winnings. On August 23, 2017, Mukhtar died at the age of 64.

The funeral was held at a local mosque, with no hint at his former wealthy lifestyle. Despite being a page turner in the press in his first few year's after the win, his death warranted just a few paragraphs in the local paper.

His death certificate listed complications from a urinary tract infection as the cause. He now lies in an unmarked grave in Berkshire after becoming estranged from his family following his antics. Described as a "muddy mound", the grave is topped with a few plants.

His death certificate also listed other possible causes, including kidney failure, liver cirrhosis and heart disease. Despite being the first, Mukhtar isn't the only winner to fall victim to the so-called "lottery curse".

Since then, several jackpot winners have seen their lives derail after the big win changes everything for them. Their stories often follow a similar pattern, as joy turns to despair as they either blow the winnings or find a new set of stresses brought on by their newfound riches.