A Hovis baker who cried in front of a judge in a fake £300,000 compensation claim for a fall at work has been handed a £40,000 court bill after his "dishonest" case was kicked out.
Judge Heather Baucher accused Yacob Adan of "moaning, groaning and grimacing" in court in a bid to con his ex-bosses out of a massive compensation pay out.
The 45-year-old broke his collar bone when he tripped while pulling a trolley of bread tins at Hovis' giant bakery in Erith, Kent, in March 2014.
He claimed he was knocked unconscious and suffered brain damage and a lasting disability as a result, meaning he couldn't cook, wash or dress himself.
However, secretly recorded video showed him going about his day-to-day life in a totally normal way, and looking after his kids.
Dismissing his claim for £300,000, the judge said Mr Adan greatly exaggerated his injuries and had even been "observed to cry" in court "in the forlorn hope that I would be persuaded that he has been physically incapacitated".
"I am entirely satisfied that the only reason he so presented at court was for material gain," she said, dismissing his claim and handing him a £40,000 court costs bill.
She said he could now be faced with contempt of court proceedings brought by Hovis' insurers, which could lead to a maximum two-year jail term.
During the trial of Mr Adan's claim last month, Central London County Court heard he was working at the bread factory in March 2014 when he fell.
He was pulling a large trolley of tins backwards down a corridor when he tripped on a loose bolt in the floor and crashed to the ground.
Mr Adan claimed he was left unconscious for three minutes, suffering "mild" brain damage and ongoing psychiatric injuries.
He has since suffered with depression, which was contributed to by the persistent pain in his back and arm after the fall at work, he said.
Lawyers for his ex-bosses at Premier Foods Plc, former owners of the Hovis brand, accepted that he was hurt in the accident, but accused him of exaggerating his injuries to get more compensation.
Secretly recorded surveillance footage showed him going about his day-to-day life normally, barrister Simon McCann said.
Although he claimed he couldn't use his right arm, he was seen getting on buses with his kids, holding onto a handrail and carrying shopping.
And while he claimed to need a crutch and could walk only 50 metres at a time, he was seen without any walking aid while out for an hour and a half.
Far from being unable to work again, Mr Adan had been capable of work for some time, he argued.
"The reason the level of symptoms complained of has no medical explanation is because there could not be one," he said.
"He is simply trying to mislead the court and the defendant for the purposes of gain."
Giving judgment, Judge Baucher said she was satisfied Mr Adan had not been knocked unconscious in the fall and rejected his claims of a brain injury and lasting disability which mean he is dependent on carers.
She said Mr Adan appeared in court throughout the trial with his crutch, making regular groaning noises while "swaying in an unnatural manner" and, at one point, starting to cry.
But the video surveillance showed him "at ease" without a crutch while out with his children, for whom he had "sole responsibility," she said.
"I find that he attended court using a crutch and moaned, groaned and grimaced in the forlorn hope that I would be persuaded that he has been physically incapacitated as a direct result of this accident," she said.
"He maintained he couldn't use his arm properly. There is no evidence to support that contention.
"I find that he has deliberately exaggerated and that he has no present physical or psychiatric disability that is related to the accident.
"I am satisfied that he has been fundamentally dishonest in relation to the primary claim."
The judge said Mr Adan had also put forward a dishonest claim for over £40,000 in care costs, backing it up with "fabricated documents."
She said he would have been awarded just over £6,000 for his genuine injury, but that because he had been so dishonest his case would be kicked out completely.
Mr Adan was ordered to pick up Premier Foods' lawyers' bill for the case, which is thought to be over £40,000.
He could also now face contempt of court proceedings, which can result in a heavy fine or jail term, she said.
