$22m NZ Lotto winner dies after descent into drugs
An Australian man living in New Zealand won a Lotto prize of $22 million, but the lucky windfall failed to deliver a happy ever after.
South Australian Joshua Winslet bought a Lotto ticket in 2017 while living on the South Island, working as a plumber in Alexandra.
According to a 2022 article in the NZ Herald, Winslet had been living pay cheque to pay cheque, using the last $19 in his bank account to buy a ticket. His numbers came in, and he was the sole winner of a $22 million Powerball prize.
His friends told the Daily Mail, Winslet was bullied in school because of "physical deformities". He grew up with Duane syndrome, which occurred when the eye muscles did not develop properly, and Goldenhar syndrome, which could lead to facial asymmetry. Winslet had undergone plastic surgery when he was young.
Winslet reportedly placed his millions in a trust managed by his parents, buying investment properties in Australia and New Zealand.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, the Daily Mail reported Winslet started using the money to buy drugs, including MDMA, cocaine, and cannabis and his home was raided by police in 2020, discovering 27.3g of MDMA, 2.27g of cocaine, and a pistol with ammunition.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including new corruption report, California protests, and Justin Baldoni's legal loss. (Source: 1News)
Court reports said he pleaded guilty to supplying MDMA and possessing a firearm without a licence. In August 2022, he was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of 18 months. His sentence was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond with supervision.
Photos presented to the court showed Winslet's Adelaide home had become a dilapidated drug den, with rubbish and other filth dumped around the house.
One of his friends reportedly said there were concerns for his mental health.
This morning, the Daily Mail reported Winslet died of health complications from excessive drug use while at home.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Kiwi ex-NRL player TC Robati cleared of rape, admits to indecent assault
The rape trial of a former NRL player has ended with him being found not guilty before he admitted to a different sexual offence which the judge described as 'creepy'. Just minutes after an Australian jury cleared Teui 'TC' Robati of two rape charges, the New Zealander admitted to unlawfully
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Anthony Albanese reacts after Australian journalist shot in US riots
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his Government has formally protested to the Trump administration after a US riot police officer shot an Australian journalist with a non-lethal round during violent demonstrations in Los Angeles. Nine's Lauren Tomasi was at the time reporting in the city's downtown area, where law
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Australian tradie dies after winning $22 million Lotto in NZ and descending into drug underworld
First published on Australian Josh Winslet was in NZ when he won big. Photo: Facebook/NZME An Australian man who descended into a world of drugs after winning $22 million in Lotto Powerball while living in New Zealand has died. Josh Winslet became an instant multi-millionaire after striking it rich with a winning Lotto ticket while living in the South Island in 2018. However, his winnings soon attracted the wrong crowd and he slid into drug crime. It culminated in a 2020 police raid in Australia and charges of supplying MDMA and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. On Tuesday morning, the Daily Mail Australia reported Winslet died of health complications from excessive drug use. In 2022, the Adelaide District Court heard how, after bagging his epic windfall, Winslet's parents managed his winnings through a trust fund. However, he was still able to access enough of his fortune to allow him to quit working as a plumber and bankroll a "hopeless" drug addiction. Winslet, who also purchased property in New Zealand with his winnings, was treated as a "free ride" by other drug users, the court heard. Police raided his home in the Adelaide suburb of New Port on August 30, 2020 after they reportedly received information that drugs were being manufactured on the property. Cops found 2.27g of cocaine and nearly 30g of MDMA. In a compartment in the bathroom was a mauser handgun and ammunition. Winslet pleaded guilty to supplying MDMA and possessing a firearm without a licence, the advertiser newspaper reported. During sentencing in September 2022, Judge Heath Barklay stated that his conviction had robbed him of the drive for a productive life and brought him into contact with the wrong crowd. The judge also detailed how Winslet had battled two rare conditions since birth. The conditions led to physical abnormalities which saw Winslet bullied at school and unable to take part in contact sports. He left school early before doing his plumbing apprenticeship and then shifted to New Zealand to look for further work. Evidence of drug use was everywhere when police raided Winslet's house. Photo: Supplied/NZ Herald Photos released by the court show the Adelaide house littered with drugs and drug paraphernalia, with empty beer bottles and nitrous oxide canisters sharing space with cannabis bongs and lighters. A fridge photographed by police was empty save for alcohol, Red Bull - and a bowl of white powder. The house was dirty, with rubbish and clothes lying around, floors marked and stained, and a framed photo of his winning online ticket a cruel reminder of what could have been. This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
