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A fraudster who conned his frail neighbour out of more than £40,000 and thwarted justice for two years by pretending to be in coma has finally been jailed.



Alan Knight cleaned out the bank accounts of dementia sufferer Ivor Richards, 86, after the pensioner was taken into a care home, Swansea Crown Court heard.

The 47-year-old then falsely blamed his estranged son for the crime and even claimed he was in a vegetative state so couldn't stand trial.

But CCTV footage showed him walking around on a shopping trip, prompting him to admit 19 charges of theft and forgery.

Jailing him for four and a half years today, a judge said Knight was 'as dishonest a man as I have ever come across' who would 'stop at nothing in order to try and save his own skin'.

The court heard Knight was living on benefits at his home in Swansea, South Wales, after claiming he had suffered a massive neck injury.



He claimed his injury had caused him to have seizures which left him in a comatose state.

His wife Helen, 33, claimed she had to care for her husband who had snapped his neck after falling backwards as he pulled down a garage door.

But the whole time he was carrying out an elaborate fraud targeting neighbour Ivor Richards' life savings and shares over a three year period.

The court heard how he 'systematically' funnelled £41,570 out of the pensioner's bank account which he used to pay for holidays and to buy a caravan in Dorset.

It was later discovered that he had also forged Mr Richards’ will using the names of two dead women from a newspaper’s obituary section as counter-signatories.

The dad-of-three was caught on CCTV at the Severn bridge toll on the M4 as he travelled back from the south coast.

He was also captured on CCTV in Tesco stores across the country after police traced the use of the family's loyalty club card.

Officers tried to 'at least twice' to bring him court but each time he admitted himself to hospital claiming his condition had worsened.

Swansea Crown Court was told he had 'pulled the wool' over his GP's eyes but he was unable to fool doctors at the hospital.

While he was on 'observations' they spotted him eating, wiping his face and even writing.

Knight was told he would have to stand trial even if he did not attend, and he finally appeared in court in a wheel chair and wearing a neck brace.

He was going to contest the fraud and theft charges against him.

But he changed his plea after the CCTV footage showed him walking around on a shopping trip.

Jailing Knight today, Judge Paul Thomas said: 'Alan Knight is as dishonest a man as I have ever come across.

'Over a period of two years he took a man in his 80s for every penny he could. He took advantage of that gentleman's declining mental health.

'First he pretended to befriend him and then using this trust he systematically stole money that amounted to more than £40,000 which that gentleman had worked hard to build up most of his working life.'

The judge added: 'When these matters came to light he decided to do everything he could to avoid responsibility for his actions.

[Knight] constantly avoided court for two years, costing police, the NHS and the court system thousands of pounds
Detective Con Paul Harry

'He tried to blame his own son for what he had done - which resulted in him being arrested - and accused his own son of being bribed by a police officer.

'It is clear that Alan Knight would stop at nothing in order to try and save his own skin.'

Judge Thomas jailed him for the fraud of Mr Richards and not for his alleged attempts to dodge justice with fake illnesses.

The judge said it was now a police matter to investigate his illnesses.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Con Paul Harry, who lead the case, said: 'In my entire career this is the most calculated, long-term deception of a vulnerable, elderly neighbour I have ever seen.

'He had constantly avoided court for two years, costing police, the NHS and the court system thousands of pounds