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Alan and Helen Knight jailed over fake coma court trick Alan and Helen Knight jailed over fake coma court con
(34 minutes later)
A man who faked being in a coma to avoid a fraud trial has been jailed along with his wife for trying to trick the courts. A man who faked being in a coma to avoid a fraud trial has been jailed along with his wife for trying to con the courts.
Alan Knight, 48, and his wife Helen, 34, of Sketty, had admitted perverting the court of justice. Alan Knight, 48, and wife Helen, 34, of Sketty, had admitted perverting the court of justice.
Helen Knight was jailed for 10 months at Swansea Crown Court on Friday.Helen Knight was jailed for 10 months at Swansea Crown Court on Friday.
Her husband, who was jailed in November 2014 on fraud and forgery charges, will serve another 14 months on top of his current prison term.Her husband, who was jailed in November 2014 on fraud and forgery charges, will serve another 14 months on top of his current prison term.
Judge Huw Davies said Knight's deception had been calculated but that his attempts to manipulate the court system had failed. Judge Huw Davies told the pair they had both committed an "extreme" example of intending to pervert the course of justice.
He told Knight's wife: "All in all your behaviour was unscrupulous and selfish". He said: "It resulted in significant delay in bringing the offender to justice."
The court heard conman Knight spent 10 weeks in hospital feigning a mystery illness to try to avoid prosecution for fraud. He said this added to the distress of those facing giving evidence as Knight's trial was delayed time and time again over a period of two years.
But while he was in hospital in an apparent coma, water was magically disappearing from his bedside at night. The judge called Knight's deception calculated and told his wife: "All in all your behaviour was unscrupulous and selfish."
The court heard Helen Knight wrote to the prime minister to complain about her husband's prosecution. The court heard conman Knight spent 10 weeks in hospital feigning a mystery illness to try to avoid prosecution for conning his neighbour out of £40,000.
But while he was in hospital in an apparent coma, drinking water was being emptied from his bedside at night.
Helen Knight campaigned to try to stop her husband's case going to trial, the court heard.
She wrote to the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and her local MP and AM, telling them he husband was being forced to go to court even though he was a paraplegic and in a permanent vegetative state.
Her local MP even took on her case, writing to Mr Knight's solicitors.
But the couple were caught by police on shopping trips and holidays.