Mother jailed for faking son's illness

The boy's bedroom was crammed with so much medical equipment that police described it as "like a scene from Casualty". He used a wheelchair and wore dark glasses because of a supposed intolerance to sunlight; he was fed through a tube and at school sported a bright yellow and green hat so that he could be quickly found in an emergency.

No wonder that wellwishers were quick to try to help the "illest child in the country", donating money to make his life tolerable.

But it was all a scam dreamt up by the boy's mother, Lisa Hayden-Johnson. For six years she pretended that her son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was dreadfully ill so she could claim state benefits, topped up by donations – and bask in the attention that her son garnered for her.

Hayden-Johnson was today jailed for three years and three months after admitting child cruelty and perverting the course of justice.

Exeter crown court heard she bullied health professionals when they said they could find nothing wrong with the boy claiming – again falsely – that she was a qualified nurse and was in the best position to know just how sick her son was. If they pushed her, she threatened to sue.

When the deception finally unravelled police found a holiday video of the boy on a cruise ship running around in his swimming trunks and photos of him eating a roast and Yorkshire pudding and burgers, though he supposedly could never keep solid food down.

Detective Constable Mark Uren, of Devon and Cornwall police, said: "She dedicated most of her time to convincing and deliberately deceiving medical professionals that her son was the illest child in Britain. She craved attention for herself and also wanted the financial rewards."

Hayden-Johnson, 35, from Brixham, Devon, claimed the boy had diabetes, a neurological disorder which reduced his mobility, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, a metabolic disorder, food allergies and an intolerance to sunlight.

Expert after expert examined the boy at his home and also in Bristol and at Great Ormond Street hospital.

Hayden-Johnson bullied the professionals to accept that she knew what was wrong with the boy and even told the school to invest in improvements for his wheelchair access.

All the time she was cashing in on the scam by claiming about £20,000 a year in benefits for her son.

Hayden-Johnson also courted publicity, encouraging wellwishers to pay for holidays. She appeared on GMTV and met Tony Blair and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Neighbours were suspicious, especially as they sometimes spotted the boy playing football and even eating ice cream, but it was difficult for them to voice their suspicions because the wider world seemed to accept that the boy was so ill.

A police investigation was launched after doctors came to the conclusion that there was little or nothing wrong with the boy.

As the net closed in Hayden-Johnson went to the police claiming she had been raped and cut her own face to back up her allegation. She only backed down when police told her they were about to arrest someone.The boy, his sister and father – who was also taken in by his wife's deception – are living in another part of the country.

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