But on the day Paul Martin Oldfield, of Swithenbank Avenue, Gawthorpe, said his nine-year-old daughter had "passed away", she was actually at school and oblivious to the web of deceit her father had been spinning.
Probation officials were forced to check the claim with the coroner, a hospital and the girl's school, who said she was alive and well.
The girl's 30-year-old mum,who was formerly in a relationship with Oldfield, told the Wakefield Express: "I don't understand how anyone could say that about their own child – it's sickening.
"To use a lie of this magnitude to avoid community service is appalling. It's the ultimate betrayal. She's very much happy and well, with absolutely no life-threatening issues."
She said when she told her daughter about the deceit, the girl said her father was a "stupid man".
It started in January when Oldfield, 33, was told he would be brought to court for twice failing to show up for community service.
He said he could not attend Wakefield Magistrates' Court on January 18 because his daughter had died.
He was granted another adjournment on February 1 after telephoning the court to say it was his daughter's funeral.
A week later he appeared at the court and said his daughter had been in hospital when he was down for community service, and she had died on January 18.
He was told his case would not continue if he could provide medical evidence. But prosecutor Maria Turner said none was forthcoming and an probation officer's own investigations revealed the girl had not died and was in school.
Oldfield pleaded guilty to breaching a community order.
Sukhbeer Shergill, mitigating, said Oldfield told a lie about his daughter's death that had escalated out of control, adding: "He accepts it's probably one of the most terrible things you could give as an excuse."
Magistrate Rod Young, who has presided over cases for nearly 25 years, "This, in all probability, is the most horrifying case that we have heard. The sustained lies about the supposed death and funeral arrangements of your nine-year-old daughter, in an attempt to justify your persistent breaches of your community order, were absolutely appalling."
He revoked the order, which was imposed for four thefts, and jailed Oldfield for 20 weeks.
Oldfield told the Express before he was sentenced: "It's going to be difficult to look my daughter in the eye. I wish I could turn back the clock."