A convicted rapist who won £7.2million on the lottery has gained full access to his jackpot after a 15-year legal battle.
Iorworth Hoare was given day release from Leyhill Open Prison, Gloucestershire, in 2004, and while out, he purchased a Lotto Extra ticket and won his fortune.
He was not allowed unlimited access to his winnings due to conditions of his release from prison on licence, however he is understood to have been paid a monthly allowance of £8,666 after his release in 2005.
Shortly after his release, it was revealed he had been living in Sunderland under a new identity in a modest property in Holborn Road in the Hylton Estate, with neighbours furious to learn a convicted rapist had been housed near their families.
Shirley Woodman sued Hoare for damages when she heard of his win
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Hoare could only access the rest of his fortune if allowed to by fund trustees, consisting of a Home Office official, his lawyer and his accountant, but now he has full control of it, plus interest, following a legal case launched in 2008.
A Home Office source told the Mirror that "in the end" there was "nothing legally" which could stop Hoare from accessing the cash.
He was jailed for life in 1989 for attempting to rape Shirley Woodman, who was a retired teacher at the time.
It was revealed Hoare had six previous convictions for rape and other sex offences dating back to 1973 when he was convicted of the attempted rape of Mrs Woodman.
Woodman had previously only been known as Mrs A during the court case due to victim anonymity rules.
However, she waived her right in 2012 following an MBE.
She later sued Hoare for damages when she heard of his win but he contested the claim, arguing that victims of sex attacks must make their claims within six years.
Woodman, who died last year aged 92, successfully got compensation from her attacker, who ended up having to pay her £50,000 in damages as well as nearly £800,000 in legal costs.
.Iorworth Hoare served time at Leyhill Open Prison in Gloucestershire
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"It was a fantastic struggle. It was a long and traumatic one and it was very hard at times," she told reporters at the time.
Her legal breakthroughs have led to other victims of sexual abuse, such as those abused by Jimmy Saville and survivors of Rotherham grooming gangs, to be able to claim compensation.
Woodman donated her money to charity and now her daughter Shelley Wolfson, 67, has said Hoare should give his money to charity, just as her "wonderful" mother did.
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