Worst Dad Ever trying to skip out on child support sends lookalike to take paternity test
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
If only he'd put as much effort into purchasing birth control as he did this scheme: A British man has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud after he sent a lookalike to take a paternity test in order to get out of paying child support.
Thomas Kenny, 25, was already the father of one and expecting another with his longtime girlfriend when he had a "fling" with another woman, The Birmingham Mail reports. The woman became pregnant in 2012, and Kenny asked her to have an abortion, which she refused. After the baby was born, Kenny never paid child support, and was ordered to give a DNA sample — that's when, the Birmingham Crown Court says, he sent the dopplegänger, who has never been identified, to fool people.
The plot was discovered in June 2014, and Kenny — who continued to deny paternity — was arrested for fraud. Judge Philip Parker QC showed no sympathy for Kenny: "I know you are said to be the loving father of two children by your long-standing relationship, but this case shows you were prepared to disown a child of your own for financial gain. Morally you cannot sink lower than that." Kenny was sentenced to 6 months in prison, and has to pay £885 ($1,381) in compensation and £500 ($780) toward costs.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
