Cataloñia man cuts off fingers for insurance claim

A 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly cutting off two of his fingers in an attempt to defraud six insurance companies in Girona.

An off-duty member of the Catalan regional police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, found two pieces of fingers, a butcher’s knife in a box and a wooden kitchen block covered in blood and with the price tags still attached in a children’s play park.

He called his colleagues and an investigation was opened.

The police located a man who had been admitted to hospital the day before because he had lost two fingers. Because of the time elapsed, they couldn’t be reattached.

He claimed he had accidentally cut his fingers off while cutting meat at home, but the police suspected his story because the remains were found near the health centre he had initially visited.

Last year he had contracted six accident policies and had already initiated procedures to claim compensation of between €12,000 and €45,000 each.

The police discovered that last year he had defrauded two insurance companies and claimed €24,000 for injuries. He appeared before a judge and was released with charges.