Conman jailed for three years

David BaleA Norfolk conman has been jailed for three years after he pretended to be a super-rich Jersey resident to trick banks and businesses into giving him money.David Bale

A Norfolk conman has been jailed for three years after he pretended to be a super-rich Jersey resident to trick banks and businesses into giving him money.

Paul Self, 52, who owned expensive cars and a luxury boat, claimed he was a wealthy resident of Jersey with more than �250,000 in the bank after he dreamed up a scheme to create a floating hotel on the Channel island.

But Self, formerly from Booton, near Reepham, was undone when he was arrested by the island's police and it emerged he had a criminal record after twice being convicted in East Anglia's crown courts.

Self was convicted last month of five counts of forgery and one count of obtaining money by false pretences.

In court yesterday he was also disqualified from driving for two years after pleading guilty to drink-driving in May 2008, and he will not be allowed to act as a company director for the next seven years.

Jersey's Royal Court heard Self had planned to develop La Folie pub on the island's Harbour and build a hotel cruise ship to entertain islanders.

But when Jersey Harbour pulled the plug on the floating hotel project, Self continued to con bank workers into giving his company, Octa Group, money for the plans.

He falsely claimed he had over �270,000 in a BNP Paribas account and created a fake letter from the bank to get an overdraft from the Royal Bank of Scotland International for his harbour plan.

Self forged his ex-business partner's signature on cheques, as well as forging invoices and another ex-partner's name to try to get a loan from Lombard Finance.

In addition to the jail sentence the court ordered Self to pay up to �30,000 towards prosecution costs for his trial last year.