Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, the most vilified figure from the most notorious financial scandal of the decade, was sentenced tonight to 24 years, four months in prison, the harshest sentence yet in the case that came to symbolise corporate fraud in America.

After his conviction earlier this year for orchestrating one of the biggest financial scandals in US history, former Enron chief executive officer Jeffrey Skilling is to learn today how long he will have to spend behind bars.