A convicted rapist who won £7.2million after purchasing a lottery ticket whilst serving a prison sentence has been granted full access to the money.
Iorworth Hoare, 70, had been serving a life sentence for his attack on a woman when in 2004 he won the money whilst on leave from Leyhill open prison, Gloucestershire.
The daughter of one of his victims has urged him to give the cash to charity, just as her late mother did with the damages he was forced to pay her.
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Shirley Woodman was 59 when Hoare, who committed a series of sex attacks in the 70s and 80s, attempted to rape her as she walked through Roundhay Park in Leeds, in 1988, the Mirror reports.
Twenty years later, Shirley won her fight to change the law so she could claim compensation from Hoare, who eventually had to pay £50,000 damages and almost £800,000 in legal costs.
After learning that Hoare now has full access to his £7.2million jackpot, Shirley’s daughter Shelley Wolfson, 67, told the Mirror: "She gave all the money away to charity and it’s what he should be doing with his money."
"He can do good with that money, like my mum did." Shirley, a "magnificent" former head teacher, died last year, aged 92, but left a legacy for other victims of sexual assault.
She was incensed when she heard he'd won the money, telling the BBC in 2012: "It seemed wrong that he had been in prison at our expense - that is the taxpayers' expense.
"He should be paying back that money. The victims also got money from the state and he should be paying that back."
Shirley sued Hoare for damages but he used the law of limitations, which put a six-year limit on claims for compensation, to fight her claim. The determined mother-of-three, known only as "Mrs A" at the time, spent four years pursuing her case through the courts, to the House of Lords.
In 2008, she won a ruling from the Law Lords that, in cases of serious assault, the courts would have the discretion to extend the six-year limit. In 2011, Shirley won her case in the High Court and was awarded £50,000 compensation, which she gave away, anonymously, to good causes.
Hoare also had to pay her legal bill of £537,885 and his own £239,583 costs. It paved the way for others, such as Jimmy Savile’s victims and Rotherham survivors, to claim compensation.
Shelley, from Bradford, West Yorks, said: "People thought my mum was going after his millions – she wasn’t. It was about getting the law changed.
"She gave all the money away and it’s what he should be doing with his money. I certainly do think he should pay back the system like my mum wanted him to and help good causes. He can do good with that money like my mum did. She was wonderful."
Hoare, 70, has gained full access to his £7.2million fortune after a 15-year legal dispute. He was prevented from having unlimited access to his money under the conditions of his release on licence, and was understood to initially have a monthly allowance of £8,666 after he left jail in 2005.
The rest of the £7.2m could only be accessed with the consent of the fund trustees – a Home Office official, his lawyer and his accountant. He began legal action to win control of the money in 2008 and can now access it, plus interest.
A Home Office source told the Mirror: "There was nothing legally which could be done to stop him in the end."
From 1973, Hoare spent 30 years in jail for one rape, three attempted rapes and two indecent assaults. He got life in 1989 for attacking Shirley, who waived her right to anonymity when she received an MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2012.
Shelley said: "I’m so pleased she got the recognition. She made an impact and what I’m pleased about is all the cases that came after. People at least have some redress and remedy."
Hoare has used his money to build a property portfolio and art collection, including a Picasso "Bull" sketch. He now lives in a detached property in rolling countryside with his long-term partner.
He declined to comment when asked by the Mirror. He said: "I have nothing to say. I’m not saying owt."
The Ministry of Justice said: "Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and will be recalled if they break the rules."
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