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An insurance account handler who exaggerated her car crash injuries to boost her compensation has evaded jail – after she posted pictures scaling the Sydney Harbour Bridge and swimming with dolphins online.
Lois Cartridge, 24, from Bournemouth, suffered minor soft tissue injuries after she was involved in a road accident as a back seat passenger in November 2018.
But shortly after the crash, Ms Cartridge posted a photo swimming with dolphins alongside her boyfriend with the caption ‘can’t get much better’.
She later told a doctor who examined her just over six months on from the accident that she was still so badly injured that she was ‘prevented’ from exercising.
But Liverpool Victoria – the insurers of the other motorist in the crash – later uncovered her Facebook posts which suggested otherwise.
They revealed that she had completed a 5km obstacle race the same day she saw the doctor and that shortly afterwards she had scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge with her boyfriend whilst travelling Down Under.
Ms Cartridge admitted exaggerating her symptoms and has now been given a suspended 16-week jail term and will pay an estimated £20,000 in lawyers’ bills for contempt of court at the High Court in London.
Lois Cartridge, 24, has been given a suspended jail term for contempt of court after exaggerating injuries from a car crash. Shortly after telling doctors that she could not exercise, she scaled Sydney Harbour Bridge with her boyfriend (pictured together)
Shortly after the car crash in November 2018, insurers found that Ms Cartridge had posted this image of her swimming with doctors alongside her boyfriend along with the caption ‘can’t get much better’
Paul Higgins, for LV, told Judge Richard Pearce that Ms Cartridge claimed that she had ‘tenderness’ and ‘restricted movement’ in her back and neck which stopped her exercising and carrying out normal household tasks, including ironing.
But alarm bells rang when insurance investigators looked at her social media posts, he said.
Ms Cartridge admitted exaggerating her symptoms and has now been given a suspended 16-week jail term and £20,000 in lawyers’ bills
One day after the accident, she posted that she had been shopping and on a dinner date, he told the judge, adding: ‘On 5th December 2018, she posted a status update stating ‘can’t get much better’ alongside a photo showing what appears to be her swimming with dolphins.
‘On June 1 2019, notably that same day she was medically examined, she posted a status update stating ‘soo…we completed the 5k inflatable run this morning… and I can now say I’m never doing anything like that again’ along with a photo which appears to show her and four others with medals around their necks.
‘On 12th June 2019, she was tagged in a status update at Heathrow Terminal 3, stating: ‘Australia bound – happy 21st Lois Marie Cartridge’.
‘On 16th June, she posted a status update at Bridge Climb Sydney, stating: “Time to climb the bridge” and she was tagged in another status update stating “cool night doing the Sydney bridge climb”.’
She had told the doctor ‘that she normally engages in regular sporting and leisure activities, including swimming, training in the gym and walking’ and that at the time of the examination ‘these continue to be prevented as a result of her symptoms’.
She also told the doctor that she had problems with cleaning, cooking, DIY, dressing, driving, ironing, self-care and vacuuming.
The barrister told the judge: ‘It is respectfully not possible to reconcile walking and training in the gym being prevented with an ability to complete a 5km run involving a number of obstacles or to understand how swimming was prevented if she was fit enough to enjoy snorkelling.
‘It is not possible to reconcile this list of alleged difficulties with her social media material or the completion of a 5km obstacle run.
‘She had completed the inflatable run immediately before the examination.’
He asked the judge to jail her and to make her pay the estimated £20,000 costs of the case.
It was Liverpool Victoria – the insurers of the other motorist in the crash – who uncovered her Facebook posts
But Andrew Mckie, for Ms Cartridge, asked the judge for mercy, telling him to take into consideration that she would lose her job because of what she had done.
‘She has apologised to the court and does so again,’ he said.
‘She is deeply remorseful that this has happened, it is her first offence, she is young and this episode has had a deep impact on her emotional, financial and professional wellbeing.
‘She will lose her job and career in insurance over this.’
Judge Pearce, sentencing, said: ‘This is exaggeration, not invention, but a custodial sentence is inevitable.
‘I do not wish to give out the message that simply because somebody is of good character and in employment they can expect to get away with it.
‘However, I also cannot ignore any of those factors.
‘I have been impressed with her straightforward apology to the court and I take into account that this finding will have serious financial consequences for her.’
He handed her a 16-week jail term, suspended for a year, for contempt of court.
The judge ordered her to pay £10,000 initially as a percentage of an estimated £20,000 legal costs bill within 14 days.
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