A fraudster who dishonestly sued an NHS trust for £3million has been jailed after a judge ruled that she had "deliberately lied".
Kae Burnell-Chambers sued Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust in 2019 for negligence, three years after having surgery on a spinal issue.
The fraudster claimed the procedure was botched and left her needing a walking stick.
However, the High Court heard that an investigation by the NHS trust uncovered a video of Burnell-Chambers participating in body painting activities and walking without the supposedly necessary stick.
The High Court heard that an investigation by the NHS trust uncovered a video of Burnell-Chambers walking without the supposedly necessary stick
| PAIn July, the fraudster pleaded guilty to contempt of court and was sentenced to six months behind bars - and ordered to pay the trust's legal costs, totalling £135,000.
The High Court was told that Burnell-Chambers began to suffer from cauda equina syndrome in 2014, but she admitted she had exaggerated her symptoms.
Cauda equina syndrome is an condition in which the nerves at the lower end of the spinal cord are compressed - which can have severe consequences.
Burnell-Chambers went to A&E in August 2016 and underwent surgery the following day.
She claimed after the surgery she could not "do anything" and sued the NHS trust for negligence.
Burnell-Chambers claimed after the surgery she could not 'do anything' and sued the NHS trust for negligence
| GETTYNorthern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust said the value of her claim was “likely less than £200,000”, but Burnell-Chambers demanded over £2million in compensation.
The fraudster's lawyer tried to argue that she should be spared jail as it would leave her son in the custody of her sex offender partner.
Ben Bradley KC told the court that social services had deemed that it was not "safe and appropriate" for her partner to look after her son.
However, the High Court judge said that plans had been made for her son to be cared for by a family member, and the sex offender partner would leave the home.
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The NHS trust started contempt proceedings against Burnell-Chambers in 2023 after she failed to show "fluctuations" in her symptoms.
In July, the fraudster said: "I offer my apologies to the court and the claimant.
"I understand that what I did was wrong. I accept that I should be punished for my decisions."
Mrs Justice Tipples said that Burnell-Chambers' offending was "at a serious level that crosses the custodial threshold".
The High Court judge added: “You deliberately lied to all these medical experts, leading them to believe that you were unable to do very much at all and that you were a person with significant support and accommodation needs.
“You deliberately made out that your condition was always at its worst, when that was untrue."
According to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, fraudulent claims cost the health service around £1.3billion every year.
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