Joshua Winslet scooped a massive lottery win – but things soon took a dangerous turn (Image: Facebook)
A plumber’s world was turned on its head when he won an astonishing $22million (approximately £11m) in the lottery.
In 2017, Joshua Winslet was just 22-years-old and had a mere $19 (£9) left in his bank account when he decided to buy a ticket for Australia’s $100m (£47.9m) Powerball draw. To his utter disbelief, he found himself the sole winner of a $22m jackpot just hours later.
However, this incredible stroke of luck led to heartache, and, ultimately, tragedy for the troubled young man. Born with two disfiguring conditions, Joshua’s childhood had been marred by hardship.
At the time of his lottery win, he was residing on New Zealand’s South Island and was living with both Duane syndrome and Goldenhar syndrome.
Duane syndrome is an eye disorder that restricts the ability to move one or both eyes, while Goldenhar syndrome is a rare condition resulting from underdeveloped bones and muscles in the face.
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Hours after buying a lottery ticket, Joshua found himself a multi-millionaire (Image: Courts SA)
The combination of these two congenital abnormalities made Joshua a target for bullies throughout his school years. As a child, he underwent plastic surgery in an attempt to correct some of the signs of his condition, but the procedures were not entirely successful.
Following his challenging school years, Joshua briefly attended Adelaide University Senior College in South Australia before opting to leave his studies behind for a plumbing apprenticeship. At the age of 20, he chose to relocate to New Zealand, hoping that he might find it easier to secure work there.
However, before his stroke of luck, he was struggling as a plumber in New Zealand, nearly penniless when he purchased the lottery ticket that would change his life.
The Daily Mail spoke to two former schoolfreinds of Joshua’s, who said they couldn’t believe his massive lottery win at first. One friend remarked: “He sent a screenshot of his lotto app and we still almost didn’t believe him. It was something that doesn’t happen to someone like Josh, you know? Especially $22million.”
caption: Joshua Winslet winner of Australian $100million Powerball drawhttps://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/alexandra-lotto-winner-dead-after-downward-spiral-drugs (Image: Facebook)
The other chimed in: “Out of everyone from our school, and after all the bullying he copped, he deserved it more than anyone.”
Initially, Joshua appeared to handle his windfall quite sensibly, buying himself several investment properties in South Australia and New Zealand and placing the remaining funds in a trust managed by his parents.
Yet, succumbing to the lures of wealth, Joshua turned his New Port, Adelaide mansion into an epicentre of debauchery, with alcohol and narcotics freely circulating at his extravagant bashes.
A framed copy of Joshua’s lucky lottery ticket hung on a wall of what had become the base of a raucous, never-ending party.
Joshua’s house became a sordid party house (Image: Courts SA)
In 2020, the police stormed the squalid, beer-bottle-strewn abode, uncovering over 27 grams of ecstasy, two grams of cocaine, and an illicit firearm.
In South Australia’s District Court, Joshua admitted to supplying drugs and possessing an unlicensed firearm. He was handed a three-year and nine-month prison sentence in August 2022, with the possibility of parole after 18 months.
While delivering the sentence, Judge Heath Barklay remarked: “Because of the money that you had won, there was no motivation on your part to work or do anything other than enjoy yourself.”
Police found drugs and weapons in the house (Image: Courts SA)
Police found a huge quantity of Class-A drugs in Joshua’s home (Image: Courts SA)
Despite the sentence, Joshua’s incarceration was suspended on the condition of adhering to a good behaviour bond, allowing him to swiftly revert to his indulgent ways.
Friends recall harrowing scenes, with one witnessing him chipping away at a “massive” block of cocaine, while another starkly cautioned: “You need to stop this or you’re going to die.”
Tragically, Joshua ignored the warnings. In December 2022, a mere few months post-sentencing, he was discovered deceased in his residence, succumbing to health issues stemming from his rampant drug consumption.
