Jailed, con artist who used ‘coma’ to dodge justice
A CONMAN who dodged justice for two years by claiming to be at risk of going into a coma was finally jailed yesterday.
Alan Knight, 47, had cheated an 86-year-old neighbour out of his £40,000 life savings and even forged his will.
But when police caught him he evaded trial by claiming a neck injury had left him suffering seizures which caused him to go into a comatose state.
He was rumbled after CCTV showed him walking around Tesco and driving his car to the family caravan in Dorset.
At Swansea Crown Court yesterday Judge Paul Thomas said: ‘He is as dishonest a man as I have come across.’
He jailed Knight for four-and-ahalf years after he admitted 19 charges of theft and forgery and said it was a matter for police to investigate his fake illness.
Knight, of Swansea, was living on benefits and wearing a neck brace after claiming he had suffered the massive injury when he was hit by a garage door. His wife Helen, 33, claimed she had to care for her husband.
But the whole time he was attempting to evade prosecution for the fraud on his neighbour, Ivor Richards, 86.
The court heard how over three years he had systematically funnelled £41,570 out of the pensioner’s bank account, shares and other investments, using the money to pay for holidays and to buy the caravan.
He even forged Mr Richards’ will to leave everything to him- self – even though there was nothing left in his estate after it was plundered by Knight.
Police tried to at least twice to take him to court but each time he admitted himself to hospital claiming his condition had worsened.
But he was caught out when CCTV showed him at the Severn Bridge toll on the M4 and in Tesco stores across the country after police traced the use of the family’s loyalty club card.