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Alan and Helen Knight jailed over fake coma court con Alan and Helen Knight jailed over fake coma court con
(35 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 con the courts. A man who faked being in a coma for two years to avoid a fraud trial has been jailed along with his wife for trying to con the courts.
Alan Knight, 48, and 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 course 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 told the pair they had both committed an "extreme" example of intending to pervert the course of justice.Judge Huw Davies told the pair they had both committed an "extreme" example of intending to pervert the course of justice.
He said: "It resulted in significant delay in bringing the offender to justice."He said: "It resulted in significant delay in bringing the offender to justice."
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.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.
The judge called Knight's deception calculated and told his wife: "All in all your behaviour was unscrupulous and selfish."The judge called Knight's deception calculated and told his wife: "All in all your behaviour was unscrupulous and selfish."
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. The court was told by the judge that couple came up with their elaborate plan to feign a "catastrophic" illness to try to stop the husband's trial for theft, fraud and forgery.
But while he was in hospital in an apparent coma, drinking water was being emptied from his bedside at night. He had been accused of taking £40,000 of the the life savings of his elderly neighbour, who had dementia.
Helen Knight campaigned to try to stop her husband's case going to trial, the court heard. Every time someone in authority visited Knight, he pretended he was paraplegic and often in a coma.
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. He admitted himself to hospital for a total of 10 weeks to avoid the trial and convinced some GPs about his mystery illness.
Numerous tests were carried out but they all concluded he had nothing physically wrong with him.
Meanwhile, his wife wrote to the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and her local MP and AM, telling them her 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.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. Eventually their lies were exposed after police found CCTV and picture evidence from their computer.
The photographs showed them on holiday, on day trips to places like Legoland and at a friend's wedding.