Charles Overend, 47, was not alone in the scam, and was sentenced to jail with his businessman brother Jonathon Overend, 46, and a solicitor’s clerk, Carrol Thompson, 48, who were also involved in the multi-million pound fraud.

Jonathon Overend – who was said to have profited from the fraud his brother ran – admitted one count of obtaining property by deception worth £1.2 million and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

He had bought eight flats and pretended to provide funding for a purchase of a property, even though none was needed.

Carrol Thompson helped them carry out the swindle by sending other solicitor firms false information and signing off bogus documents.

After admitting to three counts of a conspiracy to defraud worth £2.1 million she was sentenced to fifty weeks in prison, suspended from her job for 24 months, and has been ordered to complete 200 hours of voluntary work.

Charles Overend, was said to have lied on loan applications to obtain 33 properties all over the country.

When police officers searched his Surrey home they discovered a fake driving licence and a bank savings book in the name of Howard Thompson – a baby that died in 1973. 

The brothers together received mortgages of over £1.2 million, but the overall fraud committed by the trio is estimated at £4.5 million.

Charles Overend only took responsibility for £3.7 million and related it to properties he obtained in Surrey, Wakefield, Yorkshire, and Wigan.

At the original trial, prosecutor David Durose said it was alleged that Charles Overend obtained buy-to-let mortgages by making false statements when purchasing the properties.

He also said that Carrol Thompson had supplied false information for the preparation of the deal.

Charles Overend purchased six houses for £1.32 million in Surrey, receiving mortgage advances of at least £1.37 million from three different banks.

By Dawn Murden