Semi-pro footballer gets suspended jail term for lying about whiplash injury

Updated


A semi-professional footballer has been given a suspended jail sentence for lying about a whiplash injury which he said put him out of the game for four weeks.

Gary Burnett, who was once on Wigan Athletic's books and now plays for Northwich Victoria, did not think for one moment that he would be "rumbled", said Mr Justice Jay at London's High Court.

But his "naive" posts on Twitter about playing alerted motor insurers, who began an investigation which led to the 25-year-old being found in contempt of court for making false statements in county court personal injury proceedings.

Sentencing him to a four-month term suspended for 12 months on Friday, the judge said the public needed to understand that the courts took a very serious view of such offending which struck at the heart of the justice system.

False motor insurance claims were prevalent, difficult to detect and were said to add £44 a year to every policy.

Window cleaner Burnett, of Lowton, Cheshire, tried to get compensation after an accident at a McDonald's drive-thru in Birkenhead in October 2013.

A day after the incident, which lawyers for Solicitor General Robert Buckland called "a little jolt", he posted a tweet referring to an away match which read "Nice little trek to Kendal later for footy".

He also boasted about playing in and scoring in the FA Trophy less than three weeks after the accident.

His counsel, Trevor Parry-Jones, said that Burnett's footballing abilities were far greater than his "intellectual awareness of life", and he was naive.

"He has done everything that an investigator for an insurance company would wish a false claimant to do."

Burnett maintained it was a genuine injury although it was nowhere near as severe as he had claimed. He accepted he was in contempt and had made an abject apology.

Mr Buckland said later: "This is a serious case, highlighted by blatant dishonesty and a clear contempt by the offender. Burnett knowingly lied in order to benefit himself and the public interest demanded that proceedings be taken forward.

"Burnett is now deservedly paying the penalty for his actions and I hope this sends a message to anyone tempted to try and do the same thing."

Burnett, who must also pay £500 costs, has already been ordered to pay £11,000 in costs to insurer Aviva after his damages claim was ruled fundamentally dishonest in July 2015.

Advertisement