A Dublin man has avoided jail for lying about injuries he suffered in a car crash. Raymond Smith won an action for damages against the other driver.
However DVDs subsequently emerged that showed him taking part in cage fighting competitions.
Mr. Smith claimed he suffered a debilitating back injury when his car was rear-ended in 2009. He won a personal injuries action against the other driver and was awarded €7,500.
However the ruling was successfully appealed when DVDs surfaced of Smith (29) engaging in mixed martial arts, also known as cage fighting.
Smith of Cairn Court in Poppintree later pleaded guilty to giving false information to a solicitor as part of his civil claim.
He is the first person to be prosecuted for this type of crime under the Civil Liability and Courts Act of 2004.
The maximum penalty is 10 years in jail. Judge Mary Ellen Ring has given him a 3-years suspended sentence.
