Millionaire cougher 'had debts'

Millionaire cougher 'had debts'

Tecwen Whittock denies coughing systematically

A lecturer accused of helping a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? contestant con his way to the top prize owed £20,000 on his credit card at the time, a court has heard.

Tecwen Whittock, 53, told police he also had three children at private school costing him £40,000 a year, London's Southwark Crown Court was told.

But despite his financial commitments everything was "under control" he told officers during interviews - extracts of which were read out to the jury.

Mr Whittock, Major Charles Ingram and his wife, Diana, deny conspiracy to "dishonestly procure the execution of a valuable security" - namely the quiz show's £1m jackpot prize.

I would not do it. It would be against my morals. I am just a family man

Tecwen Whittock

The head of business studies at Pontypridd College in south Wales denied using coded coughs to tell Major Ingram which were the correct answers.

He told police he thought the major had won the money fairly, but added: "If a guy has gone and defrauded them then he must face the consequences."

The father-of-four said he had been a "law abiding citizen" all his life and did not need to cheat to get money.

"I would not do it. It would be against my morals. I am just a family man," he told officers.

During the interview he said three of his children were at private school.

"That must be very expensive," said Detective Sergeant Paul Demko.

Prepared statement

"Yes," said the defendant. "It cost me £40,000."

He explained that although he had a £100,000 mortgage, and had £20,000 "or perhaps a little less" on his credit card, his bank account was in the black.

In addition to his £30,000-a-year salary, he earned up to another £2,000 annually marking exam papers, he added.

He told police his allegedly illicit coughing on the night in question had been "totally innocent".

"It can only be a coincidence that my coughing correlated in any way with any answers given by the major," he said.

The jury heard that a prepared statement was found during a search of his home in Whitchurch, Cardiff.

In it Mr Whittock claimed he had not known the answers to the questions for £125,000, £500,000 and £1m.

Mr and Mrs Ingram deny the charges

"So it would have been impossible for me to signal the correct answers," it said.

He wrote that he suffered from hay fever and a dust allergy.

"Any coughing I did was totally innocent and was not a signal of any sort," he said.

The statement also said that he had never met Mr Ingram nor spoken to him.

But he said that he had spoken to Mrs Ingram several times on the phone after she and brother Adrian Pollock won £32,000 on a previous edition of the show.

He had been interested in picking up tips from Mr Pollock about how to improve his chances of being selected as a contestant.

Mr Whittock, who took the hot seat after Ingram's £1m win, but only got £1,000 himself.

The trial continues.