Simon Hayes left Roger Curry with paramedics outside Hereford Hospital, claiming he had found the 78-year-old dementia sufferer in a country lane
A fantasist who dumped an American friend’s father in an NHS hospital to dodge US medical bills was jailed yesterday.
Simon Hayes left Roger Curry with paramedics outside Hereford Hospital, claiming he had found the 78-year-old dementia sufferer in a country lane.
Hayes, who was dressed in a bogus Army uniform, refused to give his own name, saying it was a security risk because he was working at the SAS base in the city.
The 53-year-old had stripped Mr Curry of his passport and other papers and dressed him in British clothing to further obscure his identity. Hospital staff could not work out who their patient was and Mr Curry spoke his name just once – after he was moved to a care home in the nearby village of Credenhill.
Police spent four months trying to identify ‘Credenhill Man’ before the internet sleuthing skills of a charity worker uncovered his background in California.
Worcester Crown Court was told that Hayes concocted the cruel plan in 2015 with Mr Curry’s son Kevin. The pair had become best friends while sharing a flat in Los Angeles before Hayes was deported in 2013 for drink-driving.
Simon Davis QC, prosecuting, said Hayes arranged to meet Kevin along with his father and mother Mary-Jo at Gatwick, before driving Mr Curry the 150 miles to Hereford.
Police spent four months trying to identify ‘Credenhill Man’ before the internet sleuthing skills of a charity worker uncovered his background in California. Pictured, A BBC panorama investigation tried to discover his identity
Roger Curry in his 1958 high school yearbook. The striking resemblance between this photo and Mr Curry led to the discovery of the dementia sufferer's identity
Kevin Curry with his mother Mary Jo Curry. Hayes joined Kevin and his mother on a holiday to France and Denmark before the Americans flew home
Mr Davis said: ‘The defendant was part of a plan to bring Roger from the US and dump him in Hereford, abandoning him so he could
