Nurse who claimed ex ‘lovebombed’ her with gifts after he scooped £200k scratchcard win is ordered to pay back the cash

A FORMER nurse who claimed her ex-boyfriend “lovebombed” her with gifts after a £200k scratchcard win has been ordered to pay back the cash. Fireman Craig Titchener won the top prize on a Winter Wonderlines scratchcard in 2019 and handed £45,000 to his girlfriend, Heather Douglass. Heather Douglass outside Central London County Court Credit: Champion News Service Ltd Craig Titchener said he wanted to use the money to buy a house for himself Credit: Champion News Service Ltd Mr Titchener told a judge he hoped to use the prize to buy a house for him and his kids. He said he gave the money to Miss Douglass so she could invest it using her “financial savvy” despite the two being a “volatile” couple. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! After their 11-month relationship ended, the Heathrow Airport fireman sued Miss Douglas over the money. But Miss Douglass claimed the payments were gifts and insisted that her ex “lovebombed” her with generous presents and cash. A judge last year ruled that £40,000 worth of payments had been intended for investment and now after a further hearing Miss Douglass has been ordered to hand it back. Mr Titchener told the court: “When I won that £200,000 on the scratchcard, I didn’t see it as just luck but as a life-changing opportunity. “I thought that now I can finally buy the family home I’ve always wanted and that intention to invest in a home has been consistent from the start.” Miss Douglass fought the case, telling Mr Titchener: “You sent me money because you were desperate to be in a relationship with me”. Most read in The Sun With both sides representing themselves in court, Mr Titchener challenged: “Why would I have transferred half of my life savings just to be in a relationship with you?” Miss Douglas accused her ex-boyfriend of being controlling and trying to “buy people”. She also cited her ADHD diagnosis as a reason for her overspending. She told Central London County Court last year: “When I’m elated I will buy extravagant things. “I have a tendency to overspend. If you came to my house, you’d see there are things coming there every day.” District Judge Charlotte Hart ruled the 40,000 of the money transferred was intended to be invested and she found “very little evidence to support claims of a controlling or harassing relationship”. After ruling last year, the judge decided there had to be a further court hearing to determine whether Miss Douglass may have spent some of her ex’s £40,000 stake with his consent. The case returned to court again for a hearing via a remote video link last week, with Mr Titchener arguing that because his ex had failed to submit full evidence of her finances, his case should automatically succeed. Giving judgment, Judge Hart said Miss Douglass had been ordered by the court to file a witness statement, complete with her bank statements for the crucial period between February 2022 to February 2024. She said: “The failure to produce the bank statements as directed is a serious and significant breach of the court order.” Judge Hart said Miss Douglass’ explanation for her failure based on a change of email address and a refusal by her bank was not good enough. “The order was in terms that unless the bank statements were exhibited, the claimant was entitled to enter judgment in the sum of £40,000,” she said. The judge entered judgment against Miss Douglass for the £40,000, at which point the former nurse simply turned off the video link, telling the judge: “I am going to leave because I don’t agree with any of this. Goodbye.”