CONMAN Nicholas Price, who cheated the wealthy Bamford JCB family out of £33,000 by falsely charging them for internet and email services, failed to show up at court on Tuesday to be sentenced.

His barrister, Makkan Shoker, told Gloucester crown court Price is unwell and had been in hospital over the weekend - but the judge and prosecution were sceptical.

Prosecutor Nick O'Brien described Price as 'a highly manipulative individual who is not to be believed.; Judge Martin Picton demanded medical evidence certifying that Price is unfit to attend court and he adjourned the case till Friday. He said if Price was not present then or had not provided satisfactory evidence a warrant would be issued for his arrest.

At an earlier hearing the court was told that Price, 49, had dishonestly continued to bill the JCB company for his services to the digger family's Daylesford estate near Moreton in Marsh, Glos, after the company had ended its contract with him.

He had run the website and emails for the Daylesford Organics farm shop - known as the 'Harvey Nicks of the Cotswolds - and for Lady Carole Bamford and the Bamford family's luxury yacht. He also provided similar services for the skipper of the Bamford yacht, Rick Boutillier.

In June last year Price of Vicarage Cottages, Leysbourne, Chipping Campden, pleaded guilty to five charges of obtaining money transfers by deception.

Each charge related to his company Captiva Media Ltd obtaining £6,538 from JCB. The five charges totalled £32,694 and covered monthly periods from 1st November 2005.

Judge Picton indicated at an earlier hearing in June last year that he would not pass an immediate prison term if Price paid back the money to the losers within six months.

But the court heard last December that Price had paid nothing and was blaming his failure on the disruption to his business caused by last summer's floods.

The judge then gave Price extra time - but today learnt that Price has still not paid back any money and is now said to have assets of only £18,250 following a divorce settlement.

Explaining his absence from court on Tuesday, Mr Shoker said "I do have some information to confirm that his illness is genuine. Those instructing me have telephoned Cheltenham General Hospital and they have confirmed that he was admitted on Friday and discharged on Saturday."

"Because of what?" asked Judge Picton.

"We don't know, I'm afraid," said Mr Shoker. "The best information I have is a letter written by a consultant psychiatrist to his GP which indicates he suffers from depression and that he does suffer from suicidal thoughts and is on medication.

"I understand why the court is perhaps cynical - this case has been going on for some time."

Judge Picton said "He has been given every opportunity - have your solicitors been in contact with him, spoken to him?"

Mr Shoker said there had been contact via emails but they had been unable to contact him today.

"He is not in work, he has nowhere to live - he is living with friends and relying on them to feed him. He has recently gone through a divorce and the only assets available for him to realise now are £18,250."

Judge Picton said there was no evidence before him that Price had medical problems so acute that he was unable to attend court.

"He must attend on Friday or there must be proper medical evidence demonstrating a genuine unfitness to attend," he said.

Prosecuting, Mr O'Brien said "Experience with this man shows that he is not to be believed unless whatever he says can be corroborated.

"He is a highly manipulative individual. He has been playing the system. When sentence was deferred last June he promised to pay a substantial amount of money by December - not a single penny was paid and investigations suggest he never was in a position to pay it.

"The Crown's position is that we are deeply sceptical."

Judge Picton agreed "He is a con man."

As well as the Bamford deceptions, Price is also awaiting sentence for forging ex-colleague Jennie's Rainsford's signature in order to cheat her out of her share in a business they once ran together.

He has also been convicted of harassment after he sent threatening emails to Ms Rainsford, 42, when she set up rival company Media Eden.

7:06am Wednesday 7th May 2008

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