Revealed: Rapist conman who stole £2.5m jackpot from the National Lottery by forging a winning ticket was freed after serving just half his nine-year jail term 'to ease the pressure on crammed prisons'

A rapist conman who stole a £2.5million jackpot from the National Lottery by forging a winning ticket was freed after serving just half his nine-year jail term under plans created to increase prison spaces. 

Edward Putman, 54, was imprisoned in October 2019 after stealing the prize money with the assistance of Camelot insider Giles Knibbs. 

Prosecutors had threatened to add additional prison time to Putman's sentence after he paid back just £94,000 of the money, according to The Mirror. 

The conman's assets were seized by investigators who auctioned his home in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, in a bid to get back £939,000 of the money. 

Putman was freed under the End of Custody Supervised Licence scheme despite failing to comply with the Proceeds of Crime order. 

The scheme enables low-level prisoners to be freed up to two months early to ease the pressure on overcrowded jails. 

A source told The Mirror: 'It's appalling. Putman showed contempt for the repayment of the cash he stole but was still released early.' 

Putman was also jailed for seven years for rape in 1991. 

Putman was caught stealing the lottery cash after Knibbs took his own life after he was tricked out of his share of the prize money.  

Of the ECSI, the Ministry of Justice said: 'Those released face strict monitoring and can be sent back if they break the rules.'