WINNING the lottery led to misery rather than joy for one couple.
Roger and Lara Griffiths of Wetherby, West Yorkshire, netted a whopping £1.8million in 2005.
Their spending spree included an £800,000 barn conversion, flash cars and five-star holidays.
The pair also sent their two daughters to a £10,000-a-year school.
Then began a catalogue of misfortune as they split up over an alleged affair.
Their house burned down and Roger – who was in charge of the cash – admitted it was all gone.
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In 2013 he reportedly had £7 left in the bank.
Former school teacher Lara claimed the huge jackpot wrecked their marriage.
She said she found emails between him and a mate that indicated that he was planning an affair with a friend – something he strongly denied.
Recalling the moment he left the family home, Lara said: “How do you process that? I had a four-year-old and a seven-year-old daughter.
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“I think I just stood and screamed. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“He maintained he had not had an affair and that he was planning on it but hadn’t acted it out.
“And that it was just a catalyst for him leaving me because I was a s*** wife.
“I was really struggling emotionally because my dad had just died only recently so things were quite fractious at home.
“I couldn’t wrap my head around the way he handled it.”
In a statement to The Sun, Roger claimed he had simply fallen “out of love” with Lara and was “dreadfully unhappy”.
Lara admitted their marriage was not perfect, but said they seemed happy.
Now 10 years on, Lara works seven days a week running a tattoo parlour and make-up studio from a shed in her garden.
She now lives in the home her and Roger bought before their windfall with their two daughters Ruby and Kitty.
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Jonathan Rose
