Woman drops lottery ticket claim

A US woman who told police she bought and lost a lottery ticket worth $162m (€127m) has all but admitted she made it up, saying tearfully: “I wanted to win so bad for my kids and my family. I apologise.”

Elecia Battle, 40, said yesterday she was dropping her lawsuit over the Mega Millions jackpot which was awarded on Tuesday to 34-year-old Rebecca Jemison.

Battle, of Cleveland, Ohio apologised to her husband, Jemison and her lawyer.

“I’m not a bad person. I’m really not,” she said. ”Everyone has a past.”

Days after the December 30 draw, Battle filed a police report saying she had lost the winning ticket, possibly when she dropped her purse outside a convenience store. She later sued to block Jemison from collecting the jackpot.

Police in suburban South Euclid, where the winning ticket was sold, said Battle would probably be charged with filing a false police report – a misdemeanour punishable by 30 days to six months in prison and a $1,000 (€784) fine.

“I think what she’s saying is what everybody else is inferring – that she’s lying,” Lieutenant Kevin Nietert said.

The Ohio Lottery said it knew the truth all along. Jemison provided another ticket bought at the same time and place and had a ticket that showed she had played the same numbers in the prior drawing, the lottery said.

“We were confident with our decision from the onset to award Rebecca Jemison the $162m Mega Millions jackpot, and we are pleased that this matter has been resolved,” lottery director Dennis Kennedy said.

Jemison, of South Euclid, has an unlisted number, and a call to her accountant was not immediately returned.

Battle said she wanted to use the money to help her family and recently laid-off Cleveland police officers.

“I wanted to win,” she said with a shaky voice. “The numbers were so overwhelming. I did buy a ticket and I lost it. I wanted to win so bad for my kids and my family. I apologise.”

When she was asked directly if she lied, Battle’s lawyer, Sheldon Starke, refused to let her answer.

Battle has a criminal record which includes assaulting a shop clerk and misuse of another person’s credit card.