Wayne Sullivan, 38, was caught three days after raiding a shop when he claimed a €5,000 prize three days later, the Irish Independent reports.

He used a plastic gun, described as looking like a “child’s toy”, to rob the shop of scratch cards and a small amount of cash.

Mr Sullivan was successful in claiming the €5,000, but gardaí subsequently traced the winning card and found he had written his name and address on the back.

An officer told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he “wouldn’t rate Sullivan high on the list of criminal intelligentsia”.

Mr Sullivan was jailed for 18 months with the final year suspended.