It’s Kiliman-giro!
Mountain trekking, walking, skiing... ex Para they called Action Man who claimed thousands in disability benefits
He’S climbed the 19,340ft Mount Kilimanjaro, won two triathlons and competed in a gruelling 125mile international canoe race.
Mark lloyd has even tried his hand at aircraft wing-walking, skied in the Alps and taken part in the World Powerboat championships in Malta.
no wonder the former paratrooper’s friends like to call him Action Man Mark.
From today, however, he also has another name: benefits cheat.
For while the 33-year-old was enjoying all the above, he was receiving thousands in disability handouts after claiming he could walk no more than 50 yards.
now he is facing jail after a court dismissed as ‘nonsense’ his claim that he was able to complete the physical challenges because his military training meant he could ‘push through the pain barrier’.
lloyd was medically discharged from the Army in 2011 after suffering a lower back injury while serving in Afghanistan.
He claimed that on a ‘bad day’ it had left him too weak even to bend and reach his knees. in 2014, he applied for the Personal independence Payment of up to £141 a week for those suffering long- term ill health to help cover costs of their care. lloyd managed to claim more than £6,500 of the payments over 18 months. He then applied for more money in July 2016, saying his condition had worsened and he would be bedridden for a day if he walked more than 50 metres.
District Judge Martin Brown told lloyd he had ‘blatantly lied’ about the severity of his condition. He added: ‘This is a man who believes as he is an ex-paratrooper who was medically discharged from serving his country, he feels he deserves every penny he gets.’
lloyd, of Pontypridd, South Wales, was found guilty of fraud after a trial at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ court.
The court heard his offences took place while he was serving a 20-week suspended prison sentence for common assault. Judge Brown adjourned the case until August 3, warning lloyd he could not rule out a custodial sentence.
lloyd was paid disability benefits after claiming a slipped disc in his back left him in ‘excruciating pain’. But the court heard he used his benefits cash to help fund his travels around the globe on the action-filled outdoor adventures.
Prosecutor chris evans said: ‘You’d be forgiven for thinking this was two different people from hearing about his condition and how it affected his day-to-day life, and then hearing about the type of activities he was undertaking. ‘He set out in his claim forms he needs a walking aid and on a bad day he can’t bend and reach his knees. He said he can only walk between 20 and 50 metres, can’t walk on uneven ground, suffers pain when walking long distances and needs to sit down every 20 minutes. That does not tally up with the activities he was undertaking.’ lloyd took part in punishing physical activities to raise money for charity. The court was shown photos of lloyd taken during the HSBC triathlon in September 2015, showing him running during the event’s final stage before even- tually coming in first place.
He was also pictured in the same month posing with an African guide during his five-day trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa. The trek involved walking between eight and 12 hours a day.
Mr evans said: ‘The case is not whether he has an injury or not, but if he exaggerated his condition to claim money.’
lloyd, who had also been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder relating to his military career, admitted filling in risk assessment forms to enter three triathlons in total, without revealing he suffered ill health.
He said: ‘i didn’t want any special treatment or assistance. i wanted to be self- sufficient and compete at the same level as everyone else. After competing i’m bedridden for a couple of days. But i wanted to push myself.’
James Harris, defending, said lloyd had not been dishonest – and had simply been able to push through the pain barrier because of his Army training. He said: ‘He has the ability to push himself through pain… when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro he said he pushed himself and was in agony.
‘But he did it anyway because his choices were either to sit in the house and let his mental health get the better of him or get out and get on with his life.’
‘Push through the pain barrier’