The husband of a woman who died in a car crash caused by EuroMillions winner Matt Topham says he will “never forgive him”.
EuroMillions winner Matt Topham, formerly of Nottinghamshire, caused the death of Jane Regler, 75, on Christmas Day when he took his eyes off the road to pick up a teddy bear dropped off by her two-year-old son.
Today, the 31-year-old was cleared by a jury to cause the retire’s death by reckless driving.
Topham was also found not guilty of a second charge relating to the grievous injuries sustained by Jane’s husband Rodney Regler, 78.
He admitted the less serious offense of causing death by reckless driving.
Mirror reports Rodney, who was driving the other vehicle, revealed his grief over the death of his “soul mate” Jane when news of the case first broke.
He said he “didn’t really care” about Topham’s millions, adding, “I will never forgive him, I will never, never, never forgive this man.”
But the big-hearted Rodney also said he believed Topham had no intention of hurting his 56-year-old wife.
He explained, “He looked away from the road, we’ve all done it – anyone who drives and says ‘I didn’t do that’ is a liar.
“It turned out badly for him, as well as for me and my wife. But I don’t have a grudge… I don’t have time to be a bitter man.
“And he has to live with the rest of his life, if he has a conscience. If he is not well – hard.
Rodney added, “I sure don’t care if he’s a winner in the lottery, good luck to you mate.
“I never met the man, I don’t want to meet him, what happened, happened … we all made mistakes while driving.”
The fatal accident took place on December 25, 2019 on a rural road near North Cockerington, Lincolnshire.
Topham, driving a BMW X6, told Lincoln Crown Court that his son’s scream made him turn around for a “split second”.
He veered into the opposite road on a bend, leaving Ford Fiesta driver Rodney with no time to react.
Following the crash, Topham immediately dialed 999 before helping transport Jane, the retired post office housekeeper, out of her passenger seat.
He told a PC at the scene, “I made a simple mistake and put someone’s life in danger.”
(Image: Daily Mirror / Andy Stenning)
Rodney, from Louth, Lincolnshire, spoke to the Mirror in November when news of the horror crash first broke.
He revealed how he initially thought “good for you” after learning that Topham had “held his hands like a man” at the crash scene.
Rodney said he was later upset to learn that the multi-millionaire denied causing death by reckless driving.
However, Topham pleaded guilty to even the slightest charge of causing death by reckless driving at the start of this week’s trial.
His lawyer Paul Greaney QC, who was at the Manchester Arena and Grenfell inquiries, tried to have the dangerous driving charges dismissed at the 11th hour.
Midway through the trial, he argued that no jury can safely convict his client, saying Topham had “no cause to answer.”
But Judge Catrina Sjolin Knight disagreed, saying Topham was on a “non-urgent, no-way trip.”
She added: “Her youngest child was very unhappy, indeed screaming, but not really endangering or putting anyone else in danger.
“The defendant looked completely away from the road… I find there is a case for the defendant to respond.”
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On Wednesday, court heard testimony from Topham’s friends and family that he had been “changed for life” by the crash.
Topham, of Swinderby, Lincs, admitted causing death by reckless driving.
He denied causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injuries by dangerous driving and was cleared on Wednesday March 10.
He will be sentenced by the same court on Thursday, March 11.
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