A National Lottery jackpot worth £9million transformed an ordinary baker’s existence into a cautionary narrative that concluded with his premature demise.
Keith Gough’s fortune arrived in 2005 when he was employed in a bakery and residing in a modest semi-detached property valued at £160,000 in Bridgnorth.
The winning ticket came from a Broseley newsagent, with proprietor Barbara Homer describing it as a “great boost for the area”.
She remarked: “It’s something you can only dream of and you never think it will happen locally.”
However, within five years, the windfall had devastated Keith’s existence.
He died in 2010 at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital at the age of just 58, following prolonged ill health linked to excessive drinking and stress.
Keith’s newfound wealth triggered an immediate spending frenzy. He purchased a £350,000 executive box at Aston Villa’s ground, acquired racehorses and treated himself to a high-end BMW.
After leaving his bakery job, the absence of structure proved catastrophic.
“Without routine in my life I started to spend, spend, spend – in the end I was just bored,” Keith admitted in 2009.
His quarter-century marriage to Louise also collapsed.
The man who previously consumed only occasional wine with meals descended into severe alcoholism.
Keith Gough’s fortune arrived in 2005 when he was employed in a bakery and residing in a modest semi-detached property valued at £160,000 in Bridgnorth
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PA
“Before the win, all I would drink was some wine with a meal,” he confessed.
“I used to be popular but I’ve driven away all my friends. I don’t trust anyone anymore.”
Following the separation, Keith moved to a £1million rental property in Cheshire.
He hired domestic staff, including a chauffeur and gardener, yet his alcohol dependency intensified.
Keith’s deteriorating condition led him to Birmingham’s Priory rehabilitation facility, where circumstances worsened dramatically.
The winning ticket came from a Broseley newsagent, with proprietor Barbara Homer describing it as a “great boost for the area”
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PAHe also encountered James Prince, a con artist who defrauded him of £700,000 through bogus business schemes between 2006 and 2008.
Prince subsequently received a prison term of three years and four months for the deception.
By this stage, Keith had also lost substantial sums through gambling.
His bitterness became evident when he would warn customers at newsagents against purchasing lottery tickets, telling them it had “ruined his life”.
“My life was brilliant. But the lottery has ruined everything. What’s the point of having money when it sends you to bed crying,” he reflected in 2009.
The National Lottery winner pocketed £9million in 2005
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GETTYDespite his troubles, local councillor Les Winwood remembered Keith as someone who “knew he’d made mistakes with the money but was never bitter and was a great man to know.”
Keith’s death came from a heart attack triggered by alcohol consumption and stress, with reports describing how he had “drank himself to death”.
John Homer, whose wife Barbara sold Keith the winning ticket, called him a “lovely man” and “larger than life, a smashing bloke who will be sorely missed.”
He added: “It may sound strange, but winning the money was probably the worst thing that could have happened to him. It is very sad.”
Whilst many believed Keith had exhausted his entire fortune by his death, his will disclosed an unexpected legacy of nearly £800,000.
The baker who once lived contentedly in a £160,000 home had seen his multimillion-pound windfall become the architect of his destruction.