A bumbling fraudster’s attempt to con a housing association out of £6,000 has fallen flat – after his futile attempt was caught on camera.
Wrongfully believing nearby CCTV cameras were turned off, Malcolm Harrison, 41, decided to smash his leg on a broken paving stone to make a phoney insurance claim.
Despite being shown footage of his con, the keen jogger stuck by his story – even blocking a laptop so his victim couldn’t show his mother what really happened.
Harrison, from Brecon in Powys, Wales, came up with the idea after almost losing his footing in a pothole on his daily run.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Harrison thought security cameras at his block of flats were dummies and tried to claim £6,000 in compensation from Wales and West Housing Association for knee and ankle ligament damage.
The cameras were in fact live and captured the moment Harrison stopped along a footpath and smashed his leg onto the slab five times.
The owners of the flats checked CCTV footage and saw Harrison laughing with a neighbour as he repeatedly banged his leg against the paving stone.
Prosecutor Paul Hobson said: ‘Mr Harrison was jogging when a piece of paving slab gave way under his foot.
‘He didn’t trip or fall and barely broke stride but it prompted an idea.
Malcolm Harrison runs up to the broken paving stone in Brecon, Wales, where he plans to hurt his leg and make a £6,000 compensation claim against Wales and West Housing Association
The 41-year-old tests out a broken slab, unaware the entire incident is being filmed on cameras that he believes are dummies
While talking with a neighbour, Harrison crouches down and slams his leg into the broken slab five times. When Wales and West Housing Association tried to show the footage to him and his mother, the 41-year-old became animated and stood up to block the screen
‘He returned and deliberately banged his knee on the broken slab five times.
‘A neighbour is standing next to him and the two of them seem to find it amusing.
‘Mr Harrison can be seen later in the CCTV hopping on one leg and limping.’
Harrison is dyslexic so his elderly mother, who he lives with, filled in the forms to claim £6,000 from his landlords, the Wales and West Housing Association who own the flats in Brecon, Powys.
Mr Hobson said: ‘He didn’t know that what had happened was caught on CCTV – he was aware of the security cameras but thought they were dummies.
‘Even when two representatives from the housing association showed him the footage he stuck to his story that he had been injured.
‘Harrison became very animated while the film was being played and stood in front of the laptop to prevent his mother seeing the footage.’
Footage from the incident, which happened in June 2017, was played to Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, where Harrison admitted to a £9,680 fraud, which included the housing association’s legal fees.
John Ryan, defending, described it as a ‘low grade’ fraud, adding: ‘He’s had a great deal of trouble coming to terms with admitting what he’s done to his mother.’
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told him: ‘You realised that the cracked paving stone could be to your advantage.
‘You can be seen on CCTV returning to the path and banging your right knee on it five times.
‘These sort of offences are not victimless – both the housing association and their insurers were put to some difficulty with the claim you persisted with.’
Malcolm Harrison, 41, leaves Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court after admitting to the fraud. He initially pleaded not guilty despite being shown footage of the incident, but changed his plea when the trial began
Harrison was given a two-year community order and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work with costs of £1,000.
Detective Constable Joanne Farrell, who led the investigation for the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, said: ‘Even after being shown the CCTV footage several times in interview, which clearly showed his claim was fraudulent, Harrison initially denied any wrongdoing, dishonestly telling police they were misinterpreting the footage.
‘He then entered a not guilty plea at court, meaning the matter would have proceeded to trial at Crown Court.
‘Eventually he saw sense and pleaded guilty before his trial began, and has been rightfully punished for trying to steal several thousand pounds from the insurer.’