The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a consultant surgeon and his wife against their convictions for defrauding almost €750,000 from insurance companies through a false breast cancer claim.

JUDGE Patrick McCartan described the fraud as “a clever scheme of deceit”.

A consultant surgeon who defrauded almost €750,000 from insurance companies through a false breast cancer claim has been jailed for four years by Judge Patrick McCartan.

A consultant surgeon and his wife have been found guilty of defrauding €700,000 from insurance companies through a false breast cancer claim.

The jury in the €700,000 breast cancer insurance fraud trial has been told by the prosecuting counsel that the evidence could lead to only one conclusion: "This was a clever, elaborate and dishonest fraud."