AN HR director who advised Scottish businesses is facing jail after he illegally obtained £10,000 in health insurance payments from a leading firm.

Padraic Fred Best, 46, a former director of people at the Scottish Institute for Business Leaders, had legitimately received critical illness payments from Aviva Healthcare UK after he suffered a nervous breakdown.

However, he continued receiving the monthly £1,000 pay-outs for almost a year despite graduating from Stirling University and setting up his own human resources firm from home.

Best, of Grangemouth, pleaded guilty at Falkirk Sheriff Court to defrauding Aviva yesterday. He claimed to have “failed to pay proper attention” when filling in a form to receive payments.

Graham McLachlan, prosecuting, said that he had not informed the firm of his recovery, adding: “He was fit enough to work, and was in fact working, which in terms of the policy he should have done. He was paid thousands of pounds over a 10-month period.”

Solicitor-advocate Stephen Biggam, defending, said Best insurers had started to use smaller print on their annual review forms which mean that he did not see a reference to “any change in circumstances” that would have stopped the payments Sheriff Craig Caldwell deferred sentence for background reports on Best, who cried in court.

He added that it was a serious offence and a “significant sum of money has been obtained as a result of your failure to be candid”.

Drew Pryde, chairman of the Scottish Institute for Business Leaders, said he was “shocked and disappointed” to learn of his actions.