Record lottery winner Jack Whittaker, who has been cursed with trouble ever since he won €234m, suffered a heartbreaking blow yesterday when his 17-year-old granddaughter was found dead.

A 55-year-old US contractor won the $314.9m (€303m) Christmas Day jackpot, the world’s biggest undivided lottery prize to date, and said the first thing he would do is turn over 10% to his church.