A SUCCESSFUL engineer visiting friends in his hometown narrowly avoided jail for trying to swindle his insurance company after his luxury car crashed during a four-day drugs binge.

Larrie Keating also attempted to dupe Gwent Police while he was staying in his native city of Newport during a work trip after settling in Merseyside.

The 47-year-old’s ham-fisted bid to deceive them arose after his Mercedes CLS was involved in a crash last summer.

David Pinnell, prosecuting, said: “At 9pm on July 5, 2019, the vehicle, the property of the defendant, was involved in a road traffic collision in Newport.

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“The driver made their escape from the scene. The police established the index number on the Mercedes did not relate to that car.”

Cardiff Crown Court heard how officers traced the number plate on the CLS to another vehicle which Keating owned.

Mr Pinnell said police spoke to the defendant who in turn told them a friend of his called Robert Dorrington had borrowed his Mercedes.

Five days later, the defendant then went on to try and swindle his insurers, Liverpool Victoria, by claiming a thief took it, Judge Daniel Williams heard.

“He suggested to them the car had been stolen, not lent or borrowed,” Mr Pinnell said.

“Liverpool Victoria were highly suspicious from the start. The defendant gave up his claim on July 22.”

Keating, formerly of Newport, now of Victoria Road, Tranmere, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and attempted fraud.

Mr Pinnell said the defendant had five previous convictions for seven offences, including drink-driving, driving whilst disqualified and harassment.

Eugene Egan, mitigating, said his client was a mechanical engineer earning £4,000 a month installing Perspex corridors for Amazon in the North West of England.

His barrister added: “He moved away from Newport to make a fresh start but still returns to Gwent to visit his family and he became a grandfather for the second time today.”

Judge Williams told Keating: “In July 2019, you travelled from Liverpool to Newport to start a six-week contract as a self-employed mechanical engineer.

“You chose to visit friends and, bewilderingly, you went on a four-day drugs binge.

“During that time, your car was involved in a crash.”

The defendant, he said, told “transparent” lies and that “nobody was going to be taken in by them”.

Judge Williams added: “If you hadn’t pleaded guilty, you would be going straight down the stairs (to the cells).”

Keating was jailed for six months, suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, pay £1,500 costs and a £122 victim surcharge.