Benefit cheat caught strutting around after suing NHS trust £3m for leaving her disabled

A benefits fraudster has been jailed after being caught strutting around, having previously sued an NHS trust for £3million for leaving her disabled. Kae Burnell-Chambers claimed millions of pounds in compensation for claiming she could barely walk after a delayed operation left her with spinal damage. However, video footage shows the 44-year-old walking around without aid at body painting conventions across the UK.

In 2019, she successfully sued the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust for alleged negligence after surgery for cauda equina syndrome was delayed in 2016. Despite telling medical staff that she required a walking stick and daily care, videos on social media show Burnell-Chambers parading around the Kustom Culture Blast Off festival dressed as a warrior. The footage was filmed just months before the fraudster launched her £3m bid to claim damages for a delayed diagnosis.

Burnell-Chambers, who modelled, admitted exaggerating the symptoms of her cauda equina syndrome. During the court case in July, she admitted contempt of court after being caught lying about the extent of her condition.

While the model's lawyers tried to argue against imprisonment due to the impact on her young son, whose father is a convicted sex offender, the judge rejected this.

The NHS trust that she sued said the true value of her claim was "likely less than £200,000", the court heard. However, Burnell-Chambers' original lawsuit included £833,000 for future care, £692,000 for lost earnings and £722,000 for accommodation costs.

Sadie Crapper, representing the trust, said the fraudster first suffered with the condition cauda equina syndrome in 2014 - this causes the lower back to become compressed and require treatment.

The court heard that in 2016, Burnell-Chambers attended A&E and received emergency surgery the next day, yet she said negligence by the trust left her unable to do anything.

Ms Crapper said she had "deliberately fabricated and grossly exaggerated her symptoms" to claim a higher sum of money.

In 2023, proceedings began against Burnell-Chambers for contempt, with the trust claiming she failed to disclose "fluctuations" in her symptoms.

"I offer my apologies to the court and the claimant. I understand that what I did was wrong. I accept that I should be punished for my decisions," Burnell-Chambers told the court.

She received a six month jailed sentence and ordered to pay £135,000 for the trust's legal costs for having "deliberately lied" to doctors and experts to get more money.

The judge said: "You deliberately lied to all these medical experts, leading them to believe that you were unable to do very much at all and that you were a person with significant support and accommodation needs.

"You deliberately made out that your condition was always at its worst, when that was untrue. This was offending at a serious level that crosses the custodial threshold."