An expert fraudster who claimed to be the heir of Clinton Cards to con people out of more than £450,000 looks set to only serve two-and-a-half-years behind bars.

Matthew Holloway, 41, of Leighton Buzzard, was sentenced to a total of six years in prison after being found guilty of nine counts of fraud - but due to statutory guidelines Holloway is expected to only serve half his sentence and will have six months deducted for time already served in custody.

Holloway, who was the subject of a lengthy fraud investigation by Twickenham police following reports from Ham residents that they had been defrauded, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court. Recorder John Blair-Gould described it as the ‘worst’ fraud case he had ever seen.

Addressing Holloway, he said: “You defrauded a large number of people by telling false stories about your circumstances. You got them to borrow money which in many cases they couldn’t afford to have borrowed or take out loans or obtain money on overdraft.

“You pretended you were a wealthy man and had inheritance in an offshore account. You offered to pay people back the same amount again that they were loaning you.”

Recorder Blair-Gould told the court that Holloway’s lies helped him obtain money from people who trusted him, and in total saw the con artist defraud 20 victims out of more than £453,616.

He added: “I think I can say in 45 years' involvement in criminal law I have never come across a fraud on friends and relations so grave.

“I think it is the worst I’ve ever heard of.”