...............'Sleeping, watching TV, listening to music, surfing the net. Basically, anything that involves not leaving the house.'
One of Britain's youngest lottery millionaires found dead at luxury home where he lived as recluse
By Daily Mail Reporter
07th January 2010
One of Britain’s youngest lottery winners has been found dead at his luxury hideaway in southern Scotland.
Stuart Donnelly, 29, was discovered in the early hours of yesterday morning at his home in Castle Douglas.
His 52-year-old mother, May, and the rest of the family had just flown to Portugal on holiday when they heard the news.
The former trainee pharmacist was just 17 when he won almost £2million after hitting the lottery jackpot in November 1997.
He famously toasted his win with Coca-Cola, because he was too young to drink champagne.
Mr Donnelly, originally from Neilston in Renfrewshire spent his winnings on new home for his mother in Irvine, Ayrshire.
He also splashed out on an executive seat at Celtic Park and a new house for himself and his father in secluded Buittle Bridge, in Castle Douglas.
Stuart was the carer for Danny - who suffered from polio and has since died. At the time, Danny said: 'I couldn't get a better son.
'He's the nicest person you could meet. Stuart doesn't drink or smoke or take drugs. He's here to look after me round the clock.
'I'm not just saying that because he's worth a few bob. Even if he wasn't a millionaire he would still be a super son.'
Mr Donnelly also gave £15,000 to Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow, where his younger brother was treated for a genetic disorder.
But in a 2003 interview, he told of the strain of winning the lottery at such a young age.
He said: 'It was very hard to deal with all the attention I got. I even had people camping outside my house.
'It put a huge strain on me and my family.'
His mother said: 'Winning isn't all it's cracked up to be.'
On his page on social networking site Bebo, Mr Donnelly admitted that he was scared of socialising, and listed his activities as: 'Sleeping, watching TV, listening to music, surfing the net. Basically, anything that involves not leaving the house.'
His tagline on the site was 'Eat Well. Stay Fit. Die Anyway'. And among the things he said he hated, he included 'socialising' and 'Christmas'.
A message left on the page today read: 'Can't believe you're gone. I'm gonna miss you a hell of a lot. R.I.P'
Stuart became a virtual recluse as he struggled to cope with his wealth. His father's sudden death of a heart attack while on holiday in the Far East also hit him hard.
Friends say he and his father fell in love with Thailand and bought property when Stuart spent his first holiday there two months after the win.
A Dumfries and Galloway police spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances behind the death.
They said in a statement: 'We can confirm we are investigating the death of 29-year-old Stuart Donnelly from the Castle Douglas area.
'The Procurator Fiscal has been informed of the death. Early investigations suggest that there are no suspicious circumstances and a post mortem is being arranged.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0bvgS5YSw