Convicted rapist who conned £2.5m from lottery cheat's £53k in legal aid

But the Sunday Express can reveal that at the time of the trial he did not have to pay a penny of his five-figure legal costs. The payout sparked outrage by victims’ groups. David Hines started the National Victims’ Association after daughter Marie was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1992. 

He said: “I was refused legal aid as the victim of a murderer and here you get a rapist and a fraudster granted it. 

“I don’t want to hear any rhetoric suggesting the victim is at the heart of the system – it’s a lie.” 

Putman’s trial heard he conspired with Camelot worker Giles Knibbs, 38, to claim the jackpot with a fake ticket the week before the 180-day deadline in 2009. 

The fraud went undetected for six years until Mr Knibbs, an IT expert at the lottery firm’s headquarters, killed himself after Putman went back on a deal to give him £1million.

At the time, the payout was controversial as builder Putman, from Kings Langley, Herefordshire, was jailed in 1992 for seven years for the rape of a pregnant 17-year-old. 

And his lottery win did not stop him wanting yet more money. 

In 2012 – three years after he became a millionaire – he was jailed for nine months for cheating the benefits system out of £13,000 in a housing and income fraud. 

The legal aid payments for his Lotto scam trial included £37,000 for barristers and £16,000 for solicitors. 

It was paid despite Ministry of Justice officials claiming that legal aid payments for crown court trials are “subject to a strict means test”. 

They also insist applicants can be made to pay “contributions up to the entire cost of their defence” – depending on their means. 

Authorities have vowed to seize Putman’s assets and recover as much of his fraudulently acquired winnings as they can but campaigner Mr Hines remains unconvinced. 

He added: “You can tell the Government – Priti Patel, Boris Johnson, Tony Blair, I have met all of them – all they do is talk rubbish.”