?400,000 NHS fraudster jailed

A financier who defrauded the NHS of nearly ?400,000 was today jailed for four years.

Peter Nicol posed as the head of a multimillion-pound business empire to con 18 hospitals out of the money to fund a jetset lifestyle.

The fraudster, 51, who in reality operated from a poky office, assured the hospital trusts he could arrange bargain leases for medical equipment.

But NHS finance chiefs never suspected Nicol had extended payment terms so he could bank differences of up to ?54,000 a time.

The jury trying the case, at Southwark crown court, south London, unanimously found Nicol, of Spring Hill in East Kilbride, guilty of serious fraud on Wednesday.

Passing sentence today, Judge Andrew Goymer told Nicol that only a substantial jail term was appropriate for such serious fraud.

He said: "It would be idle to suggest this was a victimless crime or a mere accountancy irregularity. It is understandable for the public to feel outraged that money that should be spent on caring for patients should be lost in this fashion."

As well as serving four years in prison, Nicol will be barred from being a company director for eight years.