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Lottery winner who scooped huge jackpot caught stealing 15,000 of trainers

A delivery driver memorised an encryption code to steal pricey trainers while transporting them from Manchester to Wales, despite winning big on a scratchcard in 2018

[David Swatman celebrating his 100k win on a scratchcard in 2018]

David Swatman celebrating his 100k win on a scratchcard in 2018(Image: MEN Media)

A lottery winner has been caught stealing 15,000 worth of trainers just a couple of years after landing 100,000.

David Swatman, 43, won big on a scratchcard in 2018 and as a die-hard Liverpool fan, declared he would use the money to go to all the matches.

However, he kept his job working for shoe retailer FootAsylum where he would repeatedly nick boxes of shoes he was supposed to be transporting between Wales and Manchester, a court heard.

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Yesterday (February 8) the Mancunian was spared jail time after admitting a single charge of theft, Manchester Evening News reports.

The company began an investigation when it noticed that the number of boxes leaving one depot was continually higher than the number arriving at another.

[The man was employed by shoe retailer Footasylum]

The man was employed by shoe retailer Footasylum(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Police arrested him and took him to in for questioning where he admitted the thefts, estimating he had taken 22 boxes of shoes, with each one containing trainers worth up to 1,000.

Swatman from Manchester, admitted a single charge of theft covering stolen items worth 15,450.

The court heard he had 22 previous convictions covering 44 offences, including a drink drive offence thought to have been committed shortly after the shoe thefts.

His lawyer Max Saffman said his client was now working part-time as a window fitter earning about 300 per week.

[Swatman now works as a window cleaner]

Swatman now works as a window cleaner(Image: MEN Media)

The judge told him: "It wasn't just one theft. It was a series of thefts that occurred as long ago as the late summer of 2020 when you were working as a delivery driver for FootAsylum."

Swatman was given a 20 month jail sentence suspended for two years and must carry out five days of rehabilitation activity, 150 hours of unpaid work and pay 425 for prosecution costs.

[He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court]

He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court(Image: MEN Media)

It is a fall from grace from 2018 when he bagged 100,000 on a scratchcard.

He told the Liverpool Echo at the time: "Ive followed Liverpool all my life but because of my job, I often have to work weekends and cant see them play as often as I would like to. Thanks to this win, I can treat not only myself but my friends as well.

"Who knows, I could even get tickets to the Champions League final in Kiev if Liverpool make it there!"

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