A love rat dad sent a lookalike to take a paternity DNA test so he could avoid paying child maintenance,
‘Highly manipulative’ Thomas Kenny was already in a relationship when he had a fling with another woman - who became pregnant,
Birmingham Crown Court was told.
She refused to have an abortion and the court was told that Kenny decided to do everything he could to avoid paying up.
When the time came to take a DNA test ordered by the Child Support Agency, he tried to dodge his responsibility.
He was convicted of fraud after the mother of Kenny’s first two children was also subjected to a DNA test - but he dodged an immediate jail term.
The
court heard that Kenny already had one child with his long term partner, and she was pregnant with his second when he had the affair.
Kenny put pressure on the second woman to get rid of the unborn child.
Judge Philip Parker QC said; “You wished her to have an abortion which she declined and then in December 2012, when you knew you were the father of her forthcoming child, you decided to deny paternity.
“As a result of that she and the child were forced to undergo DNA testing
“On 24 June 2013 you were required to provide a
DNA sample to a doctor.
“One way or another you sent someone in your place.”
He said he could not determine whether it had been the defendant’s idea or the person who had been sent, possibly a work colleague, who would have had a physical similarity to Kenny.
The fraud came to light Kenny was arrested in June last year but even then he continued to deny being the father.