A fraudster who scammed internet shoppers out of £21,000 has been jailed – four years after the crimes took place.

East Anglian Daily Times: Norman Fowler. Picture: ESSEX POLICENorman Fowler. Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Archant)

Norman Fowler, formerly of Propelair Way, Colchester, has been sentenced to 20 months behind bars for fraud.

Fowler, 39, was sentenced to nine months in prison in his absence in December 2014 for theft in Norwich.

He had moved to Spain – he said not to evade justice – but was extradited last October after Spanish police detained him in Alicante on a European Arrest Warrant, with help from the National Crime Agency.

Essex and Norfolk police had issued a wanted appeal for Fowler in 2014.

He was charged with the fraud offences in November last year.

Man wanted over internet fraudYesterday at Chelmsford Crown Court he was sentenced for the frauds, which saw him offer nine buyers on sites such as eBay and Gumtree electronic equipment such as cameras and laptops, and Rolex watches, which were never delivered.

He admitted the offences, which dated back to 2013, during a court hearing last month having previously denied the charges.

Nine other offences were taken into consideration.

Yesterday the court heard people had been defrauded of significant sums of money, with Judge David Turner QC saying the victims felt “humiliated”.

Fowler, now of North End, South Humberside, has already been serving his nine-month jail term for theft at a secure unit for mentally ill prisoners. His latest sentence will run consecutively.

Detective Constable Tim Harris from Essex Police said: “Fowler went to great lengths to not only knowingly defraud the victims of this crime, but also delay court proceedings.

“He stole a significant amount of money from them by advertising and selling products which were never received by those who purchased them in good faith and I’m delighted we could bring him to justice.”