Ex-soldier was in prison when compensation case 'fall' alleged (From South Wales Argus)

Ex-soldier was in prison when compensation case 'fall' alleged

2:20pm Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News

A FORMER soldier lied and said he was fighting with special forces in Afghanistan to explain why it took him three years to make a personal injury claim after a fall, a court heard.

In fact Leon Wells, 30, of McLaren Cottages, Abertysswg, was in prison serving a three-year sentence for manslaughter during the period he claimed he was in Afghanistan.

Wells, a plumber, was sentenced to four weeks in prison today after admitting three charges of contempt of court.

Prosecutor Gareth Compton told Cardiff Civil Justice Court that Wells made a claim for £28,000 compensation against Caerphilly County Borough Council after he allegedly fell on steps while out jogging at Charles Street, Rhymney on December 26, 2006.

Wells made the claim for negligence against the council with a trial set to start on October 3, 2011.

However, on the day of the trial Wells dropped the claim and was then charged with five counts on contempt court.

He pleaded guilty to three of those.

Wells had initially told Caerphilly County Borough Council that it had taken him until 2009 to make the claim as he had been fighting in Afghanistan with special forces.

But he had been in jail in 2008 and 2009 after his conviction of manslaughter for killing Markham man Alan Brown, 45, outside the Tredegar Arms pub in Tredegar.

He was jailed for three years after Mr Brown died of serious head injuries on May 4 2008 after being punched twice in the face by Wells.

Judge Wyn Williams said: "you have acknowledged that you have lost a considerable amount through the false aspects of what you say was a genuine claim for damages.

"You have a very large bill of costs (£61,000) that you must pay at of risk bankruptcy."

He also said that it was too serious an offence to suspend a prison sentence, and Wells must serve half of a four-week sentence.