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Justyn Larcombe, from Tunbridge Wells, lost everything through gambling addiction but has regained everything

By: Annabel Rusbridge-Thomas

Published: 09:00, 18 July 2014

Five years, £750,000 and a single bin bag full of clothes later, a man who lost everything through a gambling addiction has put his life back on track - and now will swim the channel for charity.

Justyn Larcombe’s addiction started with an innocent £5 bet on a rugby match in 2009, but ended up ruining his life.

In the space of three years, the Tunbridge Wells man had gambled away nearly £1m including his life savings, the equity on his house and a £100,000 investment entrusted to him by his wife, Emma.

Justyn on his honeymoon in Italy in 2007 before his life fell apart

The 44-year-old, former army major, hit his lowest point in 2012 after having to move back into his Mum’s house in Tonbridge with a bin bag of clothes, after he was evicted from his home.

He said: “Everyone has their own rock bottom, and that was most definitely it for me.”

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After selling his wife’s jewellery, his son’s christening silver and making his single biggest loss of £17,000 on a tennis match, Justyn was left with nothing and finally admitted to himself and his family that he had a problem.

Justyn also sold his Sword of Honour that he had been awarded at Sandhurst in April 1991.

He added: “It was absolutely humiliating admitting to my family that I was a gambling addict, but you can’t start recovery until you come to terms with it.

"The gambling anonymous meetings in Maidstone were a big stepping stone in my journey and I think without them I don't think I'd be where I am today.”

Justyn Larcombe gambled away £750,000 and lost his wife and kids, he now has his life back on track and wants to help others in his situation

Justyn has now paid off all his debts and is back living with Emma and their two sons, Matthew, six, and Oscar, four, in Upper Green Road, Shipbourne.

He said: “I never thought my wife would take me back. We had both signed the divorce papers, but in April she got in touch and I can’t explain my gratitude, we still have a long way to go to try and get back to normal though.

"Forgiveness is something you give, trust is something you earn - but we’re working on it."

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Justyn will be swimming the Channel on Tuesday August 19 in aid of Hemi-Help which aids people with hemiplegia, a paralysis condition his son Matthew has.

He said: “I've come so far in the past few years and I just want to show people there is hope. I have taken so much from people in the past so I really want to give back whatever I can.

"Swimming really helped me, I had no self esteem when everything was at its worst."

The proud dad is now a consultant in insurance and runs a freelance educational consultancy business. He has also become the chairman of a newly formed charity, Rethink Gambling, based in Hadlow.

Justyn and Emma's children, Oscar, four and Ethan, six

He added: “There are too manypeople affected by this problem, and there are far too many adverts on TV.

"I’m only one tiny voice, but I want to protect other people and try to make sure they don't have to take the long journey I did to make a change.”

"Forgiveness is something you give, trust is something you earn - but we’re working on it” - Justyn Larcombe

Justyn lobbied in the Houses of Parliment for a system allowing online gamblers to make a single click which will block them from an additional 2,500 gambling sites, which has now successfully been put in place.

He said: "If this one click exclusion had been in place when I started gambling, I may not have lost everything I care about."

The book of his story and journey to recovery, ‘Tails I Lost’ is now on sale. He added: "I don't want people to think I'm anti-gambling, because I'm not.

"But I really hope the book helps other people who may be in the same dreadful position I was."

His wife Emma has seen a enormous change in her husband since he started recovery, she said: "I think he is doing so much for so many people and it really is admirable.

"He is definitely a different person to the one I married, he has changed a lot. I think he is using everything inside him now to help other people."

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