Jet-set conman must pay pounds 3,000

A businessman who flew all over Europe on charter tickets which he had upgraded to club-class must repay more than pounds 3,000 to British Airways, a judge ruled yesterday. Roger Roberts, 41, was also ordered to pay pounds 4,000 court costs and do 100 hours' community service, after appearing for sentence at Isleworth Crown Court. But he was lucky not to go to prison, said the judge, Recorder Thomas Culver.

Roberts, of Hornchurch, Essex, had been found guilty at an earlier trial on seven specimen charges of using false instruments and seven of obtaining services by deception. He bought the cheapest fixed-date ticket, usually from Going Places, said Ms Parmjit Cheema, for the prosecution. "Then without any authority from the airline ... he falsified that ticket by putting on a re-validation sticker which made it look as if this very cheap economy world fare ticket was an open club class ticket which could be used at any time," she said.