Apprentice star avoids jail

A FORMER contestant in Lord Sugar’s hit TV programme The Apprentice was given a suspended sentence for fraud yesterday.

Mortgage broker Christopher Farrell attempted to dupe lenders by falsifying customers’ applications so they were more likely to be loaned money.

The former Royal Marine, who appeared in the most recent series of the BBC1 show, inflated applicants’ salaries and forged documents to clinch them a mortgage — and in turn increase his chances of reaching his sales bonus.

Farrell, 29, was arrested last August after a bank discovered the fraud, but tried to blame colleagues for forging the documents.

However, he quickly admitted his guilt and pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation before magistrates in Plymouth last month. Appearing at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday, Farrell was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and 200 hours’ community service.