Police officer imprisoned following fraudulent Personal Injury claim

A former police officer has recently been imprisoned for 2 years and 3 months after he pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation.

Matthew Littlefair submitted a personal injury claim following a minor road traffic collision whilst on duty in 2017. The former officer alleged that he had sustained a back injury, constant neck pain, headaches, burning in the spine and his knees gave way, which found him “unable to carry out daily tasks”.

The police force therefore accommodated his injuries, allowing him to work from home and work reduced hours. Mr Littlefair therefore attempted to claim £149,764.20 from Dorset Police.

However, in 2020, the counter corruption unit received intelligence that Mr Littlefair’s injuries were not “as severe as he was saying” and therefore a surveillance team were instructed to observe him on 10 occasions.

Shockingly, Mr Littlefair was seen to be walking a dog, running and driving in the New Forest area in Hampshire and data from his mobile phone found that he had walked 8503 steps in one day.

Following the findings, Dorset Police’s misconduct panel found him guilty of gross misconduct and banned him from future employment with the police service. Mr Littlefair then faced criminal proceedings and pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, receiving a custodial sentence of 2 years and 3 months.

Chair of the misconduct panel, Mr James Rickard, said: “There can be no higher undermining of public confidence in the police than when an officer is convicted of a crime and sent to prison.” Mr Rickard also held that, had Mr Littlefair not resigned from his position, he would have been dismissed in any event with immediate effect.

Our Advice

The above case demonstrates serious consequences for those who attempt to “swindle the system” and either submit a fraudulent claim or exaggerate their injuries.

We would therefore always advise a client to be truthful throughout the entirety of their claim and to be aware that Defendants have a wide source of resources available to them to detect fraud, including by viewing a person’s social media or by employing a surveillance team, as occurred in Mr Littlefair’s case.

However, thousands of honest Claimants are compensated for their injuries each year and claims are run on a no win – no fee basis and therefore, provided that you have been honest throughout your claim and cooperate with your file handler, there is no risk to a genuine person.

Sources and further reading

ACAS

Accidents at Work Claims – Oakwood Solicitors

What should I do if I suffer an accident at work? – Oakwood Solicitors

Dorset Police officer faked injury to claim £150k – but was caught walking dog – ITV News Meridian

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you have suffered an accident at work, you may want to speak to your Employers’ Liability experts. Alternatively, call 0113 200 9720.