A EUROMILLIONS winner who said money destroyed her life built a mansion and bought a fleet of luxury cars before tragically dying.
Margaret Loughrey, 56, scooped the staggering £27m jackpot in 2013, and gave loved ones £1m each.
Margaret Loughrey scooped £27m in 2013Pacemaker
PacemakerShe built a dream home with a six-bay glass-fronted showroom for a fleet of luxury cars despite not being able to drive[/caption]
She picked up the ticket on a whim after applying for a charity job – matching five numbers and two lucky stars to bag a total £26,863,588.
The prize was the largest ever jackpot won in Northern Ireland at the time.
Despite her huge win, Margaret continued living in a bungalow in her hometown of Strabane, in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and vowed to “spread” the cash around.
But she did spend some of the sum on herself, splashing out on a string of properties – including a pub, houses, and a mill.
But one of her biggest expenditures was building a dream home with a six-bay glass-fronted showroom for a fleet of luxury cars despite not being able to drive.
Among the motors was a £70,000 Jaguar XJ50, a vintage motorbike with sidecar, a vintage VW Campervan, a classic VW Beetle and a vintage Land Rover jeep.
But just four months after her win Margaret was sectioned after being told she was “a danger to herself and others”.
She left hospital but her plight sadly continued as her life became blighted by mental health problems.
In 2015, she was ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service after she assaulted a taxi driver by smashing his glasses and SatNav.
Three years later, she had to pay £30,000 to a former employee for bullying and firing him on a “vindictive whim”.
Her mental health deteriorating, her weight at one stage plunged to five-and-a-half stone.
Margaret later said the win had “sent her to hell and back” even though she was living on benefits and unemployed at the time.
She also claimed she was left with just £5million in 2019 and said she had been targeted by thieves.
The millionaire added: “Money has brought me nothing but grief. It has destroyed my life.
“I have had six years of this. I don’t believe in religion, but if there is a hell, I have been in it. It has been that bad.”
Tragically, Margaret had just finished her dream home when she was found dead in September 2021.
She never got the chance to live in it.
Police confirmed they were called to Margaret’s bungalow following reports of a “sudden death”.
They added: “A post-mortem is due to take place but at this stage, the death is not being treated as suspicious.”
Following her death, Margaret’s brother Paul Loughrey said she was potentially vulnerable to people taking advantage of her.
Mr Loughrey told the MailOnline at the time: “The lottery win done none of us any good, let me tell you.
“The day that she won it, I said, ‘Life is never going to be the same, this is going to destroy some of us here’.”
Following Margaret’s death, moving tributes praised her for being “well known and did a lot of good charitable work”.
PacemakerMargaret built her dream home and six-bay glass-fronted showroom for a fleet of luxury cars despite not being able to drive[/caption]
PacemakerDespite her huge win, Margaret continued living in a bungalow in her hometown of Strabane, in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland[/caption]
PacemakerTragically, Margaret had just finished her dream home when she was found dead in September 2021[/caption]
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
Movember, www.uk.movember.com
Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm