Bodybuilder jailed after suing NHS over surgery and posting rugby content
A bodybuilder who claimed that an operation had resulted in nerve injury has been jailed after pictures and videos of him exercising surfaced online.
Sean Murphy, 39, of Herefordshire, underwent surgery after tearing a bicep tendon during a rugby match in March 2017, before then suing the Wye Valley NHS Trust for £580,000 compensation as he alleged that the operation had left him unable to play rugby, work as a builder, or dress himself as a result of damage to his elbow.
However, the Brit's claim was dismissed in 2022 after the NHS was made aware that he was lying, which then led to the discovery of photos and videos of him back on the rugby pitch and comfortably lifting weights that were posted on Facebook.
And now, Murphy has been jailed for eight months for contempt of court at the High Court in London and faces £200,000 in court fees that must be paid back to the NHS's costs of the original claim and contempt case.
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He will also be repaying £40,000 in interim damages that he received prior to the discovery.
Murphy claimed that he played rugby once a week, training twice, but alleged that 'all of that is finished' in documents that were put up with his claim.
He also claimed that he couldn't carry a saucepan or clothes, specifically saying that the most he could manage was an 'empty kettle'.
The photos and videos revealed that he was lifting a three-stone kettlebell, with further footage showing him curling a barbell to 80s' hit, 'Karma Chameleon'.
Videos of Murphy playing rugby for Ross-on-Wye's second team were found too, where local media reports detailed that he even dominated and 'bullied their opposite numbers for the entire game', as per The Times.
The NHS did say that Murphy was entitled to some damages, however, his claim of £580,000 was a 'gross exaggeration' of his symptoms.
Judge James Healy-Pratt determined in the 2022 trial that the claim was worth just £5,000 and suggested that the £580,000 bid was 'fundamentally dishonest'.
But just last week, the case was taken back to court as Claire Toogood KC for the NHS called for Murphy to be jailed for the false statements provided to professionals.
“He reports that he has poor grip in his hand — the most he can lift is an empty kettle — whereas he had a reputation before surgery of having a vice-like grip. However, one of the pictures shows him lifting a heavy kettlebell,” she said.
“It is of the utmost importance for those who come to court to be honest in their claims.”
Mr Justice Mould said that Murphy's attempt to get money from the NHS came around the same time as the the COVID pandemic, when they were struggling most.
“A more egregious act of selfish and self-serving deceit is hard to contemplate,” Mould stated.
He also said that Murphy' well knew he was lying and had no honest belief in the truth of the things he said'.
A couple of videos were dated after the injury, with one of him lifting a heavy bar and another lifting and swinging a kettlebell.
Mould said the videos showed 'beyond reasonable belief' that there was 'no significant weakness' in Murphy's arm.
The judge added: “I am satisfied that he deliberately lied to each expert by volunteering the false impression that he had been unable to play rugby.
“I find the allegations of contempt to have been proved to the criminal standard of proof. He is in contempt of court by giving false information to four medical experts and in that he made false statements in documents verified by a statement of truth."
“In my judgment, the shortest period of imprisonment I am able to impose is eight months,” he concluded.
Joshua Nair