Pools winner denies deal to share fortune

A man who won pounds 1.8m on the pools yesterday told a court that he had never made a gentleman's agreement to share his fortune with his workmates.

Paul Pitt, 28, denied owing three former friends pounds 25,000 each as part of a deal to share the money if any of them won more than pounds 1m. Martin Foulds, 27, Graham Ware, 27, and Andrew Sullivan, 30, claim Mr Pitt still owes them their share after his Littlewoods Pools win more than two years ago.

Mr Pitt, told Portsmouth County Court that he had never agreed to pay them and had never heard of "the big one" - the phrase his friends used to describe the jackpot win.

Mr Pitt said that his former workmates at Pall Europe Engineering in Portsmouth, Hampshire were either mistaken or lying when they had told the court they knew about the agreement.

The three claimants, who are suing him for breach of contract, claim that he won pounds 1.8m on an individual Littlewoods coupon which was covered by the gentleman's agreement they had all shaken hands on.

The case continues today.