That’s what Robinson found out, when he blamed his broken ankle — and ruptured tendons — on said drain as he walked down the flooded street near his home in Tyneside, The Mirror reports.
The injuries forced Robinson, a self-employed contractor and a father of three, out of work. So, he tried to file a bogus insurance claim against the Newcastle City Council.
Then the great, unseen hand of karma caught Robinson, 30, firmly in its invisible grip and footage of the painful event surfaced on YouTube. Investigators got wind about how Robinson actually broke his ankle: By leaping into a deep and very large pond in a flooded area, and then emerging from said pond in a great deal of pain and with his ankle at a distinctly different angle than the rest of his leg. So they snared their man, The Newcastle Chronicle reports.
The incident occurred when Newcastle was hit by heavy rains and flooding in the summer of 2012.
Just as he was about to stand trial at the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, Robinson admitted he made a false claim and pleaded guilty to fraud.
Prosecutor Stephen Davies said the City Council was looking at a £17,000 ($25,805) payout for Robinson for his pain and suffering, but the grim fictional evidence showed that his story was entirely made up and he lost out, and wound up in court, the Chronicle reports.
This is where karma’s painful sting comes in.
“I have seen people do some stupid things but putting the evidence out there is just the most stupid thing I have seen in a while,” said District judge Stephen Earl, per The Mirror. “Websites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are becoming great tools for prosecutors as people just can’t resist sharing.”
For his trouble, Robinson earned an 18-month community order and has to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. He also has to pay £600 ($909.73), plus a £60 ($90.98) surcharge.
” [Mr. Robinson] broke his ankle because he was showing off in front of a crowd of onlookers,” said Detective Constable Kate Sibley of City of London Police, Metro reports. “This posing caused his downfall as the incident was uploaded to the Internet and viewed by thousands of people.”
She continued:
“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime, it is those who pay their council tax in Newcastle who would have lost out if they had paid compensation to Stephen Robinson.”
The council also commended the anonymous person who informed them that the video that invalidated Robinson’s claims could be found online.
Karma is not always a kind teacher.
