A Brighton man has been jailed for nine months after staging a fall in a supermarket in an attempt to claim compensation.
Louis Dempsey claimed £11,000 after saying he had fallen on a wet surface in an Asda store in June 2012.
But CCTV footage – released by Sussex Police – showed he had previously walked over the same area without any problems.
Dempsey, 35, was convicted and jailed at Lewes Crown Court on 9 October after a trial on a charge of fraud by making a false representation.
The unemployed man had sought compensation for what he claimed were back and neck pain, headaches and emotional suffering caused by Asda’s negligence.
However when the store sent the CCTV footage to his solicitor, nothing was heard from him for more than a year, but his claim remained in place.
Asda then informed Sussex Police. In a police interview Dempsey denied any wrongdoing, and a report was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service who authorised his prosecution.
PC Lee Johnson said: ‘Dempsey claimed that he sustained the injuries when he slipped on a puddle of water which had been dripping from the store ceiling.
‘But the whole CCTV episode shows him previously walking across that area and looking around, and others walking past with no problem at all.’
Watch the video:
Via: http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/police-release-cctv-footage-of-man-staging-asda-fall-watch-video/5051912.article