A man who allegedly attempted to cheat his way to a life insurance payout of £300,000 has been spared a prison term.

Insurance company Norwich Union had been told that 34-year-old Ahmad Akhtary had died and his ex-wife, Anne Akhtary, was expected to collect the payout.

But he turned up for an appointment with his GP six months after a forged certificate of death was presented to back up the claim.

Appearing before a court in Gloucester, Akhtary was handed 60 hours of community service while his former wife was given 40 hours of community service as well as suspended prison sentences of nine months each.

Report said Anne, 43, had, in a bid to claim the payout, presented Norwich Union with a forged death certificate from Afghanistan saying her ex husband had died of brain trauma.

But the insurance company’s investigators were able to stumble on evidence that he was alive and had a doctor’s appointment.

Moreover, the ‘dead’ man continued to live openly and even working and paying taxes, which further gave credence to the theory that he was not dead.