A KARAOKE singer who make fraudulent insurance claims for fires at his home and received more than £21,000 in payouts has been jailed.

William Darwin James, 64, of Morrison Street, Blackwood, was locked up for 16 months.

He admitted 11 counts of fraud over an 11-year period from 2007 to 2018.

All of the claims were made fraudulently over fictional fires caused by a chip pan or oven hob.

MORE NEWS

Items damaged in these insurance scams included jewellery, clothes and wigs.

The total amount he claimed for was £61,361 and he received £21,213.

He described himself as a karaoke singer and would wear wigs when performing, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Outside the court, Scott Clayton, head of claims fraud at Zurich Insurance, said: “The mendacity of those making fraudulent insurance claims never ceases to amaze me.

“That we were already investigating this case and another, similar, fraudulent claim should then be intimated by the same person is just staggering.

“I want to thank the Insurance Fraud Bureau for all their invaluable help.

“At Zurich we pride ourselves on our ability to promptly detect criminal acts so it has been hugely beneficial to gain insight in to all the past counts of insurance fraud that had taken place.

“More to the point – we have now stopped a serial-fraudster from conducting further, future counts of fraud.”