Fireman, 33, gets his lookalike friend to take a DNA test in an attempt to avoid paying £16,000 in child maintenance
- Simon Jordan was approached by a nurse claiming he was the father of her child
- Jordan, 33, persuaded Jason Lee Coles, 40, to provide him a DNA sample and ID
- Both pleaded guilty for conspiracy to commit fraud in July and August 2017
- Jordan admitted child was his, faces 12 months jail and 200 hours unpaid work
A firefighter got his lookalike friend to take a DNA test in an attempt to avoid paying £16,000 child maintenance.
Simon Jordan, 33, was ordered to pay a nurse who claimed he was the father of her child.
Jordan, who is from Oldbury Wells in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, persuaded his friend Jason Lee Coles, 40, to provide him a DNA sample and his photo ID.
When the test proved negative, the woman was ‘adamant’ it was the father and the Child Support Agency launched background checks.
Simon Jordan (pictured left) got his lookalike friend Jason Lee Coles (pictured right) to provide him a sample and his photo ID to avoid paying £16,000 child maintenance, after he was approached by a nurse claiming he was the father of her son
Both pleaded guilty for conspiracy to commit fraud against a nurse between July 20 and August 24, 2017, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
Jordan had payments dating back to April 2016 when the woman first applied to the CSA but had not paid ‘a penny’, the told was told.
He has now admitted the child is his and has been jailed for 12 months. He will be suspended for 18 months and face 200 hours unpaid work.
Jordan will attend 15 rehabilitation activity days with probation, the Shropshire Star reported.
Jordan has been jailed for 12 months. He will be suspended for 18 months and face 200 hours unpaid work
Coles faces six months in prison and suspension for 12 months with 200 hours of community service.
Judge Peter Barrie said: ‘People must take responsibility for the outcome is a child is conceived whatever the circumstances might be.
‘If you now accept that you are the father – then this offence was an attempt to avoid paying by deceiving the child support authorities by providing a test that would not support your paternity.
‘You knew full well that a test that would support your paternity would result in support payments.’
His actions were ‘clearly financially motivated’ and attempted to ‘derail support of a child’, Mr Barrie told the court.
Jordan ‘influenced’ tree-surgeon Coles and ‘[made] arrangements’ which would ultimately only benefit himself, it was heard.
His actions were ‘clearly financially motivated’ and attempted to ‘derail support of a child’, Judge Peter Barrie told Shrewsbury Crown Court (pictured, file image). Jordan had payments dating back to April 2016 when the woman first applied to the CSA but had not paid ‘a penny’
Meanwhile Mr Andrew Holland, mitigating for Jordan, said there was never any mention of a child, and described the moment when the nurse approached him as a ‘bolt out of the blue’.
‘He accepts it was an utterly foolish thing to get his friend to take the test for him.’
Mr Holland said the case has passed the custody threshold but maintains that Jordan is making arrangements to pay the CSA bill.