A PAIR of fraudsters have been jailed for fleecing hundreds of thousands of pounds from customers to fund their luxurious lifestyle.

Auctioneer Johnathan King was sent down for five years and his brother-in-law Glenn Norcliffe for four years, after they were found guilty of fraud at Reading Crown Court last Friday.

King’s wife, Beverley, was given a two-year sentence, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work for money laundering.

All three had denied the charges.

The court heard that King, the boss of Midgham auctioneers Cameo, and Norcliffe, the firm’s accountant, syphoned off up to a quarter of a million pounds from people who trusted them to sell their antiques and curios.

During the trial in December last year, jurors heard how clients of the now defunct auction house were sent cheques that bounced or never arrived, and bank accounts of online bidders were raided to fund shopping sprees and a holiday to Dubai.

The court heard how the two men lied to customers saying their cheques were in the post, and kept the cash for themselves.

Norcliffe, 64, transferred £4,000 a month into his own account and £5,000 a month into King’s account, which was shared by his wife.

Between 2010 and 2012 the trio stole between £100,000 and £250,000 before the auction house collapsed.

Judge Stephen John said: “These are serious offences, carried out with deliberation with substantial losses to innocent victims who were preyed upon in a cynical way.”

He said to King: “The way in which you treated your clients over a substantial period was nothing short of disgraceful.”

Judge John told Norcliffe he had “behaved with calculated dishonesty towards clients”.

King and his wife of Mattock Way, Abingdon, and Norcliffe of Marcuse Road, Caterham, denied a total of 11 offences committed between 2009 and 2012.

King was was found guilty of six counts of fraud and two of making false statements, while Norcliffe was convicted on three counts of fraud by abuse of position. He admitted a further count of fraud.

Beverley King was convicted of one count of being concerned in the criminal retention or control of property.