The first ever winner of the Lottery's Set For Life to go public has revealed how he ditched his job at Amazon the day after he found about his win, giving his reason as 'won lottery/retirement'.
Dean Weymes, who worked in the transport department for the retail giant, hadn't bothered to check his numbers on the evening of the competition and arrived at work as normal at 7am on July 30.
But when he finally did check, during his first break of the day, he said that he realised: 'I don't have to be here if I don't want to be here.'
'I take my first break after 11am, I went out, got my phone out and checked my numbers, and found out I had won,' he said today.
'My break is 15 minutes, but I think I did a break abuse, I think by about 10 minutes. I went back in, sat on my computer for five minutes, and said 'I'm sick' and went home.
'The following day I went in to quit, I went to HR and said I have to leave, they said to fill out the form, which said 'why are you leaving?'
Mr Weymes (pictured celebrating with a Coca-Cola) is the first Set For Life winner to go public and says he's started ticking off his bucket list
Mr Weymes (pictured) says he's already planned a trip to Disneyland and a tandem sky dive
'I wrote 'won Lottery/retirement?' and they were like 'you can't put this down' - I think they thought I was putting a joke reason.'
He is the fourth person to win the top prize since the game launched in March, and the first of them to go public.
The movie buff from Peterborough, who studied Video and Film at university in Dundalk, in Ireland, said he hopes to use his winnings to help his severely autistic brother, Robert.
He made a documentary about Robert when he was at university, called The Thief, which he said 'went viral' in his native Ireland. And after quitting work, Dean is now planning to start a career as a screen writer.
He said: 'I studied screen writing at university as this has always been a passion of mine but I have never been able to do anything with this. It was always my dream to become a script writer. I love films and the theatre and now I can do something with this! I can turn my passion into a job - something I never thought I could do.'
Speaking of his 23-year-old brother, he said: 'Robert has severe autism - it is about as serious as it gets.
Pictured: Dean Weymes, the first Set For Life winner to go public as the teetotaller celebrates netting £10,000 a month for the rest of his life with a glass of Coca-Cola
'He is mainly non-verbal, but can say a few names and certain words, but he is like a baby.
'He is 6'3 tall and quite stocky, and he can get aggressive, and he can hurt himself and others. He grabs a hold of you and it is very difficult. he takes it out on himself. It's tough.
'My parents (dad Tom and mum Paula) are getting on a bit now, so it is difficult for them.
'If they could have regular services that they could even have a break so it is not 24/7. Just to have the best trained professionals to take care of him would make the world of difference.'
The stunned winner said he couldn't believe it when he matched every one of his numbers and a Life Ball.
'It is just incredible,' he said. 'I am 24 and I am now literally set for life! After discovering my win I knew exactly what I was going to do next. Getting £10,000 every month allows me to start working through my bucket list.'
Dean Weymes (pictured meeting Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins at a signing) is the first ever Set for Life winner to go public
Mr Weymes works shifts and weekends for the retail giant but now says he wants to use his winnings to be more creative.
His dream has always been to become a script writer and he hopes that, with this new financial stability, he can make that dream a reality.
He says that as well as his trip to Disneyland and his sky dive he is planning a balloon ride.
'I have a trip already booked for Disneyland Paris with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew – and this win will mean lots of extra spending money,' he said. 'I am now worry free for the rest of my life!'
His winning numbers were: 18, 21, 23, 34, 39 and the Life Ball that sealed the deal was: 3.
It his first time ever playing the game online when he netted the life-changing sum of money.
Mr Weymes is the first person to go public as a winner since the National Lottery introduced the new competition in January this year.
Players pick five numbers from one to 47 and a Life Ball from one to 10, with prizes beginning from £5 for matching two numbers.
If a player matches five numbers without the Life Ball, they win £10,000 per month for one year.
In the event that a winner dies before all winnings are paid, the cash will go straight into their estate.
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