Monaco - A court sentenced a British banker to four and a half years in jail on Tuesday for embezzling $20-million (about R200-million) from celebrity clients including Formula One driver Michael Schumacher.
Stephen Troth, 42, admitted siphoning off millions of dollars from accounts he managed at private bank HSBC Republic in the Mediterranean principality, which is world famous for its casinos and banking secrecy laws.
The court also ordered him to pay a fine of €30 000 (about R300 000).
Prosecutors said Troth was dazzled by the jet-set lifestyle of his clients and started helping himself to cash from the accounts of 20 celebrities, including German rally driver Armin Schwarz and French singer Liane Foley.
They said Troth used the money to buy two villas and paid an architect to renovate one of the properties using cash taken directly from the architect's own account.
Troth told the court in October he had "snapped" after his 1999 divorce and now recognised his errors. He was brought to trial after his employers discovered the embezzlement.
None of the celebrities reported their money missing. An internal audit by HSBC Republic in May 2001 revealed Troth had made nearly 150 withdrawals.