Father also jailed for a year for supporting son's claim

An amateur footballer who tried to scam a £1.35million insurance payout for injuries received in a car crash has been jailed.

James Shikell, from Doncaster, who was a passenger in a car accident in 2002, was caught out after being filmed playing for his local side.

In December 2005, Shikell, 31, was awarded a payout by the Motor Insurers' Bureau after claiming he suffered memory loss, severe fatigue, poor co-ordination and an aching neck and ankles.

As part of his claim he received £30,000. Out of the total £1.35million claim, that is all he received.

In a witness statement at the time Shikell said: 'I am deeply saddened that as a result of the injuries I sustained in the accident I am no longer able to play football.

'I still love football and not to be able to play as I did before is very depressing for me.'

But he was found out in 2008 when investigators filmed him playing a 90-minute game for Doncaster side Edlington Rangers and discovered he had played every match that season.

As a result Shikell, from Balby, Doncaster was jailed for 12 months for contempt of court.

In addition his father, Robert Shikell, received a year' s imprisonment for supporting his son's claim.

And a third man, Simon Fennell, was fined for providing a false statement in the personal injury claim.

Judge Penelope Belcher, presiding at Leeds Combined Court, found Shikell guilty of 14 of the 16 counts against him.

She said she was satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that the only explanation for him telling the lie was to increase the likely award of damages in the personal injury claim.

Read more at the Daily Mail