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He claimed to be a quadriplegic so ill he would frequently go into a coma.

But when a judge saw video footage of him shopping in Tesco and driving across the Severn Bridge, Alan Knight was unmasked as a callous fraudster who stole £41,000 from an elderly neighbour then spent two years pretending to be too sick to stand trial.

And when 47-year-old Knight appeared at court in a wheelchair and neck brace, unimpressed Judge Paul Thomas told him: “You should see the videos.”

Knight admitted 19 counts of forgery, fraud and theft and a detective constable said: “There’s nothing wrong with him.”

In pictures: Alan Knight:

Knight, of Maes y Gollen, Sketty, Swansea, who was living on benefits, claimed to be caring for next-door neighbour Ivor Richards, who was suffering from dementia.

But DC Paul Harry, the lead officer in the case, speaking after Knight’s guilty pleas, said he systematically “drained” Mr Richards’ accounts and spent the cash on “a nice caravan” and holidays in places like Dorset and Cardigan.

Knight even admitted writing out a false will with him as the beneficiary claiming it had been written by Mr Richards, who is now aged 85 and being cared for in a nursing home.

The judge told Knight’s barrister Stephen Rees he wanted the defendant to see the apparently healthy images of him, some taken as recently as August this year, so he could “come face to face with this in a literal and metaphysical sense”.

The footage showed Knight pushing a trolley around various Tesco stores and it was confirmed he was there because his Club Card had been used.

More:MP admits being taken in by Knight

Speaking of Knight’s claims to be seriously ill after the hearing, DC Harry said: “There’s nothing wrong with him. He has wasted thousands of pounds of NHS money going to places like Singleton and Morriston hospitals claiming variously to be quadriplegic, having seizures and going into a coma.

“Time after time they observe him and do tests and release him after a few days diagnosing nothing. I know there is nothing wrong with him because I obtained CCTV footage of him shopping with his wife and driving himself across the Seven tolls, sometimes towing his caravan.”

DC Harry said: “Unfortunately Mr Richards had no family and Knight took it upon himself to start caring for him. This is the most calculating, long-term deception of a vulnerable neighbour I have come across.”

The CCTV images of Knight shopping at the Trostre branch of Tesco in Llanelli and at stores in Dorset, where he was on holiday, were shown to Judge Thomas at Swansea Crown Court on Monday ahead of what was due be Knight’s trial on the fraud, theft and forgery charges.

The judge ordered no mention of the hearing which examined Knight’s state of health but after the defendant changed his pleas to guilty he ruled the revelations made in the hearing should be made public.

Remanding Knight in custody for three weeks ahead of a sentencing hearing, Judge Thomas said: “I’ve already expressed concern about attempts that have been made to delay today’s proceedings.

“There are aspects to this case which in my experience are unique and it seems a strong message needs to be sent out to anyone who seeks to adopt the same tactics in future.”

Jim Davis, prosecuting, who did not open the case, said another aggravating feature was that Knight had made a “totally false” attempt to blame his own son for the offences. And he added Knight had made completely false allegations against a police officer in the case.

He said: “It was all part of a concerted attempt by the defendant to avoid trial in this case.”