A man who paid local children to set fire to his car in an insurance scam was caught when one of them burned his eyebrows off.

Robert Cummings's car exploded after it was doused in petrol, injuring one of the boys.

 

Cummings, from Perth, was found guilty of trying to obtain money fraudulently from his insurers.

 

He was also found guilty of offering the boys money, giving them petrol and endangering one of them.

 

Unemployed Cummings, of Dunkeld Road, ended up losing his car and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service as a result of his plan, described by police as "inept".

 

The court heard how he spent several days trying to persuade the boys and their friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to help him set fire to his people carrier.

 

Initially they refused but took up his offer when he handed them £180 and a box of matches.

 

On 2 May last year, they smashed the window of his Hyundai Trajet and threw in several matches which failed to light the interior.

 

Cummings then called Tayside Police to report that his car had been damaged before telling the boys to finish the job the next day.

 

They returned to the car, parked outside Cummings's home and poured petrol over it.

 

As two of the boys stood back, a third stood by the car and lit a match - blowing the car up and burning his eyebrows in the process.

 

When Cummings phoned police to tell them his car had been subjected to an attack, officers were suspicious and further investigations led them to the injured boy.

 

'Significant loss'

 

Pc Stuart McDonald told the court that all three boys were questioned by detectives and freely admitted the plan was Cummings' idea.

 

Meanwhile, Cummings was filling out a claim to obtain the £7,450 value of the car from his insurer.

 

He denied the scam but was found guilty after a trial.

 

His solicitor, David Holmes, said: "He lost the value of his car. That was by his own actions. That is a significant loss for a person on state benefits.

 

"A police source was quoted as stating it was hard to imagine a more inept attempt at fraud."

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6475499.stm

Haha, this story is pure comedy gold.

Oh man... :laugh3:

How is a Hyundai Trajet worth 8,500K I don't know.

 

That man will be up for "stupidest person of the month" award

THere aren't enough Darwin awards to hand out to those who desreve them,lol.

 

David Holmes, eh? I'll have to post in the Random Coldplay Thoughts thread.:laugh3:

What a dumbass!!!!!!!!!!!

*edit* double post