A JOGGER was caught on camera smashing his leg on a broken paving stone to make a phoney insurance claim.

Malcolm Harrison, 41, came up with the scam to try and claim £6,000 after almost losing his footing in a pothole on his daily run.

A court heard it gave him an idea and he returned to the pathway, outside the Cwrt Tarrell flats in Newgate Street, Brecon, to hit his leg on the broken slab five times.

Harrison, who thought security cameras at a block of flats in Brecon were dummies and claimed £6,000 compensation for knee and ankle ligament damage.

But the owners of the flats checked CCTV footage and saw Harrison laughing with a neighbour as he repeatedly banged his leg against the paving stone.

Prosecutor Paul Hobson told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court : “Mr Harrison was jogging when a piece of paving slab gave way under his foot.

“He didn’t trip or fall and barely broke stride but it prompted an idea.

“He returned and deliberately banged his knee on the broken slab five times.

“A neighbour is standing next to him and the two of them seem to find it amusing.

“Mr Harrison can be seen later in the CCTV hopping on one leg and limping.”

Harrison is dyslexic so his elderly mother, who he lives with, filled in the forms to claim £6,000 from the Wales and West Housing Association who own the flats.

Mr Hobson said: “He didn’t know that what had happened was caught on CCTV - he was aware of the security cameras but thought they were dummies.

“Even when two representatives from the housing association showed him the footage he stuck to his story that he had been injured.

The CCTV footage which proved Harrison deliberately hit himself with the paving stone in June 2017 was shown to the court.

John Ryan, defending, described it as a “low grade” fraud and added: “He’s had a great deal of trouble coming to terms with admitting to his mother what he’s done.”

Harrison admitted a £9,680 fraud which included the housing association’s legal expenses.

Harrison was given a two-year community order and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work with costs of £1,000.