Giles is gone and Putman is free.. how is that fair?

Accomplice’s pals furious as £2.5m lotto conman released

- DAN WARBURTON

THE early release of a rapist who swindled £2.5million with a fake lottery ticket has angered friends of his late partner in crime.

Builder Eddie Putman, 58, was freed this month after serving less than half of a nine-year prison sentence for forging the jackpotwinning ticket.

He had been assisted by Camelot worker Giles Knibbs, who committed suicide after Putman duped him out of his share of the windfall.

An anguished friend of Mr Knibbs' family said: "Giles is gone and Putman is free - how is that fair? Giles was exploited and took his own life.

"Now Putman has been freed and has the rest of his life ahead of him." Putman was convicted of the lottery con in 2019 and received a £939,000 confiscation order.

Last year the Mirror told how he had paid off £94,000 before his home in Kings Langley, Herts, was seized by prosecutors.

The property eventually sold for £1.2million at auction.

It means Putman could have £355,000 left after settling his debt. However, the court has the power to increase the value of the confiscation order.

The rundown house, near the M25 motorway, was damaged in a blaze in October 2022.