Ex-lover of £4m Lotto criminal ‘laughed her head off’ when he was denied scratchcard win over ‘stolen debit card’

THE ex-lover of a criminal who scooped a £4m jackpot "laughed her head off" when he was denied the payout - declaring "that's karma".

Jobless pals Mark Goodram, 36, and Jon-Ross Watson, 31, had been left ecstatic when they realised they had a scratchcard worth millions.

But Camelot has so far refused to pay out the win to the the convicted criminals, fearing the winning card was bought with a stolen debit card.

Shelly Birtles, who dated Goodram for two years, said the money should be used to pay back his victims.

The mum, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, said: "When I realised Camelot weren’t giving him the money I laughed my head off. That’s karma for you.

"If the scratchcard was bought using a stolen debit card, the winnings should go to the card owner.

"And if he is granted the money, he should give it back to everyone he has stolen from."

Shelly and Goodram met as teenagers, eventually starting to date in 2013.

But she was often left disgusted by his petty crime habit, with Goodram sent to prison for burglary halfway through their two-year relationship.

She said: "People would message me saying Goodram had taken their stuff and I would tell them where he was so they could go and claim the stuff back.

"I hated it, I thought it was a disgusting way to live."

The 34-year-old said Goodram — who has 22 convictions for 45 criminal offences — was more bothered about robbing their neighbours to feed his drug habit than helping take care of their daughter Lexi, who she claimed he had only spent 20 minutes with.

Shelly, who was pregnant with their daughter Lexi at the time, said she visited him in prison only to find he had decorated the walls of his cell with photos of a previous girlfriend.

She eventually broke it off, adding: "I didn't want to be with somebody who is a thief."

The mum-of-five, who has since found love with scaffolder Jack Riley, 26, revealed that Goodram, 36, has only ever spent 20 minutes with Lexi, now four.

She said: "It was shortly after he came out of prison and he took her for a quick walk round the town centre.

"Then he wished her happy birthday the day after her birthday, and he has not shown his face since."

She said he had missed birthdays and Christmases - claiming Goodram had never tried to make an effort as a dad.

Shelly said: "One time he was on the same bus as us. He was on the back seat and I was further forward with Lexi next to me, facing backwards.

"He never even said a word to us."

Goodram and Watson contacted The Sun to share their joy at buying the £4Million Red scratchcard which cost £10 and an official pink receipt confirming it was a winner.

The pair, who do not have bank accounts, deny suggestions the scratchcard was bought with a stolen bankcard.

Instead they said they should now be "living like millionaires".

Dad-of-two Goodram said: “We have a winning ticket, where’s our cash?”

“We’ll go to the police to report Camelot. They’re being unscrupulous. I know my rights.”

Dad-of-one Watson — who has been pictured on social media with Happy Mondays star Bez — added: “The Lottery catchline is ‘It Could Be You’. Well, it should be us.

“Camelot bosses are messing us around, probably because they know we’ve had a lively past and been in prison. Well, that’s too bad.

“They need to pay us what we are owed or else."

Asked whose plastic it was, claimants Goodram and Watson named a mystery friend called “John” — but could not give his surname, address or phone number.

And while the payout was put on hold as Camelot investigates, the jubilant mates were on the lash — downing champagne and cocktails.

Goodram added: "I’m going to buy luxury properties and look after myself."