A man who posed as his own brother in an attempt to stop his house from being repossessed has been jailed for 10 months.

Maidstone Crown Court was told on Friday that Trevor Green, 52, went to the County Court in 2007 in an effort to have a repossession order on his house in Hanmer Way, Staplehurst, overturned.

Posing as his fictitious brother, Martin Green, he told the County Court that Trevor Green (in reality himself) was sick with leukemia in Benenden Hospital. He produced forged letters to back his story.

But his lies were later discovered.

Green, now of Poyntell Road, Staplehurst, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, was sentenced for one charge of false representation and two of using a false instrument.

Keith Middleton, defending, said in December 2006 Green had found himself in an “impossible financial situation” and was effectively made bankrupt.

Struggling to support his family he was also having to pay college and university tuition fees for his wife and two sons. He now lived frugally, and was trying to find another job to support his family, having lost his job as a taxi driver.

Judge Carey sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment for each offence, to run concurrently.

Green is to serve five months of the sentence in prison and five months on licence.