Nurse wins lottery after making age error

Nurse Paddy Millar won £1.994m in the EuroMillions draw by getting wife Gail’s age wrong.

The 50-year-old from Ballymena, Co Antrim, used family anniversaries and birthdays to pick his numbers but put down 48 for Mrs Millar, when she is actually 49.

When 48 came up, his wife certainly was not complaining.

“It’s the best mistake I’ve made in my life”, said Mr Millar. “And Gail’s forgiven me – particularly since I made her younger.”

The couple, who are both nurses, and their daughters Alex, 17, and Julia, 11, are going to celebrate their win with a holiday.

But their four-day break will not take them to a far-flung beach, rather the short drive across the Irish border, planned well before they entered the millionaires’ club.

“Like many families we’ve been feeling the pinch in recent times and rather than going abroad we had planned a holiday nearer home,” he said. “Maybe we will go further afield in the not-too-distant future.”

Mr Millar said he hoped the money would allow them to spend more time with their parents.

“My parents are getting on a bit and dad’s not enjoying the best of health.

“I would like to look after them to a greater extent and Gail will be able to keep in closer touch with her mother who’s now 75.”

The couple won £1,994,322.90 in the same draw last Friday that saw Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Suffolk, win more than £148m.

“To be honest I’m still in shock,” said Mr Millar. “I just can’t get the figures into my head – all I seem to remember is the 90p.”

He said his wife hopes to buy a new car as her current one has seen better days.

He said he usually buys one ticket for each draw, but because of the £148m jackpot last week, he splashed out – paying £20 for 10 tickets.