A CONMAN who scammed online buyers out of more than £18,000 has finally been jailed.

More than four years after the crimes took place, Norman Fowler has been handed a 20 month prison term at Chelmsford Crown Court for tricking buyers into thinking they were buying high end cameras, laptops and Rolex watches, taking their cash and never sending the items.

Fowler, 39, had moved to the Spanish Costa Brava after being handed a nine month jail term in his absence in December 2014 after being convicted of stealing camera equipment in Norwich.

He claims it was not a bid to evade justice, and that he had simply wanted to start a new life.

Police eventually arrested him in Spain in October last year and he was extradited back to the UK.

He has since begun serving his nine-month jail term for theft.

Sentencing Fowler, who lived in Propelair Way, Colchester, at the time of the alleged frauds but moved to North End, North Lincolnshire, Judge David Turner QC said: "You did not deliver the goods both literally and metaphorically.

"The victim impact statements make for painful reading as the people feel unsettled and humiliated by what you did to them.

"This is not life savings but for some of these people the sums are significant and they have felt cheated and defiled."

Fowler has a string of convictions for dishonesty dating back to 2002 and took cash from the buyers ranging from £5,500 to £550 per person.

He had initially denied the claims, but admitted stealing more than £21,000 a week before a trial was due to start.He has paid back £3,000 to one of the victims.

Fowler listed the items on auction sites including eBay and Gumtree, accepted the cash for them but never sent the items often offering a variety of excuses including that he had been admitted to hospital because of paralysis in his legs.

He also used at least four aliases for the transactions which took place between January and July 2013.

When police searched his house they found a stack of incriminating evidence including bank account software and a mobile phone he used to contact a buyer.

In a letter to the judge, Fowler said: "They all genuinely thought they were buying items from me and I abused that trust.

"I am extremely sorry for what I have done and I know what I did was wrong."

Oliver Weetch, mitigating for Fowler, said he had been traumatised after being assaulted in a Madrid jail and was suffering from depression.

Fowler is currently serving his sentence in a secure facility for mentally ill patients.

His sentence for the fraud matters will run consecutively to the jail term he is now serving.