Faking DNA Test

Warrington man jailed for 18 months for faking DNA test to deny parentage of his two sons

A man has been jailed for 18 months for faking a DNA test in order to deny being the father of his two sons and therefore avoid having to pay child maintenance.

In late 2015/early 2016, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) received two applications from two women who claimed that Steven Dixon, 39, was the father of their respective sons. After being contacted by the CMS, Dixon sent for a DNA testing kit which he collected himself and asked a friend to provide a mouth swab for.

The fake mouth swab was then sent to the CMS with a form stating it had been taken by Dr Jon Kisler at a surgery in Warrington in July 2018. The form was signed off by a Dr Kisler.

Following the results of the fake DNA test, the CMS rejected the application for maintenance that had been made against Dixon, but the two mothers appealed which led to an investigation. Their case was strengthened as they had subsequently carried out a legitimate DNA test showing both their sons were actually half-brothers.

In November 2018, Dixon wrote to the CMS stating: “The pursuit of myself from both you and my ex-partners is now becoming tantamount to harassment… this pursuit is now affecting my own life, as if it wasn’t traumatic enough on both occasions to find out neither of these children were mine at the time, when I believed them to be, to now having to re-live it all again and even on having it proved by yourselves by DNA that they are not mine, to then still be being pursued. It is simply not acceptable to be allowed to continue.”

Unfortunately for Dixon, a DNA search of the fake results was conducted which led police to Dixon’s friend who had provided him with the fake mouth swab sample. That friend was arrested and the full details of what Dixon had done was revealed.

Dixon was eventually arrested in July 2019 for providing the fake DNA sample, and whilst initially denying the charge against him, he was eventually forced to provide a DNA sample to police which clearly showed he was the father of the children and had therefore provided a fake mouth swab sample to the CMS. Furthermore, the real Dr Kisler, who name and signature had been included with the fake DNA sample, confirmed to the police he had never met with Dixon, never worked at the GP surgery which was recorded on the form, and that the signature on the form was not his.

Dixon pleaded guilty to three counts of Making or Supplying Articles for Use in Frauds and on 15 September 2020 at Chester Crown Court was jailed for 18 months.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Maqsood Khan, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Fraud Unit said: “Steven Dixon is a liar and a cheat who has gone to extensive lengths to deny the parentage of his two sons. Investigations showed that he had been at the birth of both of the boys and his signature was on their birth certificates. Indeed he seems to have played a part in their lives for a period. But that changed and he has now turned to criminality to avoid his obligations to his children. His apparent indignation at the work of the Child Maintenance Service to get to the truth is audacious to say the least. His deception has no doubt caused distress and hurt to the women and their children and he is now behind bars. The Crown Prosecution Service hopes that this case shows that those who try and lie and cheat their way out of their responsibilities will face the consequences.”

Work and pensions Lords minister Baroness Deborah Stedman-Scott ‘welcomed’ the sentence handed to Dixon. She added: “Steven Dixon did everything he could to get out of supporting his two sons. His repeated lies and false claims of harassment as the CMS closed in on his elaborate deception were deplorable. I welcome the jail term handed down by the courts, which reflects Dixon’s shameful dereliction of his duties as a father. As we have done here, the CMS will continue to clamp down on people who think they can abuse the system and evade their responsibilities to their children.”