A Carway man described by an experienced judge as "one of the most dishonest I have ever come across" has been jailed for 18 months.

Jason Paul Larkin, aged 29, appeared at Swansea crown court to be prosecuted by two different authorities for a string of offences, including charges relating to his leasing of an Ammanford chip shop.

The Department for Work and Pensions prosecuted Larkin for fraud after he devised a scheme to claim carers' allowances by pretending to be 10 different people.

Kayleigh Simmons told how Larkin used the identities of friends and relatives to bag £35,390 in payments over a five year period.

But Larkin, of Maesywern, pushed his luck when he claimed £2,080 from an emergency fund--using four different names--lying at one point that he was diabetic and needed a fridge to store his insulin in.

Miss Simmons said suspicions arose and a handwriting expert was able to match the applications with what was thought to be Larkin's writing.

But Larkin blamed another man for the frauds and claimed he was unable to read and write.

That defence fell apart when Larkin became terrified of his pending trial and wrote to the court saying that he would not be able to attend because his mother had died and he was on his way to Manchester to view her body before her funeral.

Judge Paul Thomas said court staff were surprised to receive a telephone call later that day from...Mrs Larkin, who was alive and well.

Larkin admit 23 offences of benefit fraud.

Carina Hughes then rose to her feet to prosecute Larkin on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Larkin had taken over the tenancy of a property in Maesywern, which Carmarthenshire County Council had spent a great deal of money on.

Miss Hughes said Larkin stripped the property of anything of value, even removing a fireplace, kitchen units, patio doors and the bathroom, causing £9,120 damage in the process.

Larkin then leased the Avenue Fish Bar in Ammanford and pretended to sell a cooking range to another cafe for £8,000 but never delivered it.

Miss Hughes said Larkin made matters worse by running away to Worcestershire instead of attending court hearings, until he was arrested on Tuesday.

Larkin admitted criminal damage, theft and breaching his bail conditions.

His barrister, Paul Hobson, said it was a "very unusual case" and the days Larkin had spent in custody since his arrest had hit him hard.

He described Larkin as being vulnerable and in need of support.

Judge Thomas said telling lies was Larkin's "default setting."

He said his offences had been of sustained, blatant dishonesty and he had taken out of society money that could have been spent on teachers and nurses.

"You trashed that council house. It was just gratuitous vandalism," he added.

Judge Thomas said he noted that Larkin was repaying the DWP at the rate of £3.50 a week--which would take 200 years for the debt to be cleared.