Employee jailed for fraud after faking alleged workplace accident injury

An employee has been was jailed for fraud after claiming he was left wheelchair-bound by a workplace accident.

Tony Bailey claimed he was injured when he slipped at Fiddleford Mushrooms Limited in Dorset, in April 2002. There were no witnesses to the incident, but details were entered in the firm's accident book.

He filed a personal injuries claim and the firm's insurer, NFU Mutual, began an investigation.

Prosecutor Nigel Askham said Bailey claimed he was unable to walk and was incontinent as a result of the injuries he received.

Bailey lied to doctors and his own solicitors about his injuries, and got his partner Samantha Beckey to back up his claims and push him around in a wheelchair.

The court heard that lawyers acting for NFU Mutual became suspicious because of problems with the medical evidence and hired investigators to keep Bailey under video surveillance.

The video showed Bailey walking and driving without sign of any injury.

On another occasion, the court heard, Bailey told his solicitors he was going into respite care when in fact he was filmed on holiday.

Michael Bradley, claims superintendent for NFU Mutual, told the court that the case could have led to a £1m payout.

Lawrence Wilcox, for Bailey, said the claim had started out genuinely. He commented:

"There was a genuine accident and some injury was caused leading to a temporary loss of mobility. He started the personal injury claim in good faith."

Bailey admitted conspiracy to defraud and was jailed for three-and-a-half years.