Berkhamsted psychic conman's accomplice is jailed

The accomplice to a psychic conman from Berkhamsted has been jailed. 

John Hamilton had remained on the run after police captured Berkhamsted man George Lavery, also known as Simon Lavery, in July.

But Hamilton, 54, was finally arrested after police traced him to the Spanish capital Madrid. 

Lavery worked as a psychic medium and conned heartbroken Simon Trussell, from Watford, out of £12,000 over eight months after promising to help him contact his former girlfriend and rebuild their relationship.

Lavery and Hamilton contacted Trussell via a mobile phone he had bought for them and pretended to be the ex-girlfriend, persuading him to part with thousands for items such a diamond engagement ring under the pretext that the pair would get married. 

During the time of the fraud, between October 2007 and June 2008, Lavery was living in Berkhamsted High Street. Both Hamilton and Lavery went on the run following their convictions in 2009.

Lavery was originally sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay £5,500 in compensation, but he received a further 24 weeks behind bars for absconding. Hamilton will now serve the same amount of time.

At the time of Lavery's arrest, Detective Constable Phil Freebrey said: 'This is excellent news that we have now arrested Lavery and he is finally doing time for his callous, greedy crime.

'Lavery was eventually traced to Benidorm in the Costa Blanca, after some helpful information from members of the public following our media appeals at the time.'

Photo: Flickr / islandguy