Charles Ingram, then a serving British Army major, recorded an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in September 2001 in which he reached the £1 million question. The production company stopped the cheque and the episode was not broadcast as scheduled. On 7 April 2003 at Southwark Crown Court, Ingram, his wife Diana and lecturer Tecwen Whittock were convicted of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception, the prosecution case being that Whittock coughed to signal correct answers. The Ingrams received 18-month suspended sentences and Whittock 12 months; the Ingrams were fined £15,000 each with £10,000 costs and Whittock £10,000 with £7,500. The Court of Appeal refused Ingram leave to appeal against conviction on 19 May 2004 and the House of Lords refused a further appeal that October. The Criminal Cases Review Commission reviewed the case following a 2005 application and declined to refer it; the conviction has never been quashed.
— He was convicted alongside two other people: his wife, and a college lecturer who had been sitting in the contestants' row that night.
— Nobody went to prison. He and his wife were fined £15,000 each with £10,000 costs; the lecturer £10,000 with £7,500.
— The Court of Appeal refused him leave to appeal in 2004 and the Lords refused again that October. The Criminal Cases Review Commission later looked at it and declined to refer it back.
— The show was Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, the prize was £1 million, and the papers christened him the Coughing Major.
— Initials: C.I.
ALLEGEDLY* edition No. 101. Three strikes to name Charles Ingram, with a free clue unlocked after every miss.
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