A fraudster who fleeced £43,000 from his father's business has been ordered to repay every penny - and stump up an extra sum of almost £10,000.

Michael Humphery-Smith, of Boughton-under-Blean near Faversham, siphoned off customers' money while working for Ancestors of Dover, based in Folkestone.

But his scam was uncovered when he accidentally sent a fake bill to his dad, Nicholas.

Mr Humphery-Smith Snr later described his "total shock" at being duped not just by his own child but someone he also considered his "best friend".

He also saw his conman son jailed for two-and-a-half years at Canterbury Crown Court in March last year.

Back at the same court last Friday (January 19), in respect of confiscation proceedings, Humphery-Smith Jnr was ordered by Recorder Janet Bignell KC to pay back a total of £53,292

This figure was said to take account of the £43,632 he pilfered from Ancestors as well as inflation.

The 44-year-old, of Burnt Oast Road, was given three months to pay or serve a further eight months' imprisonment in default.

A previous hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act was told the money was expected to come from his equity in a mortgaged property.

Formed in 1992, Ancestors provided memorabilia for major museums and historic sites, with royal palaces and Westminster Abbey among its prestigious clients.

Jurors at his trial in August 2022 heard the company boasted a 20-strong workforce and a £1.5m turnover at the time Humphery-Smith was employed as sales manager in 2017.

But business was hit after he surreptitiously set up a rival memorabilia firm Burnt Toast Solutions and diverted Ancestors' customer payments to it.

His deceit was not discovered until he mistakenly emailed a bogus invoice to his father in September 2018, resulting in the unearthing of "hundreds and hundreds" of damning emails, the court heard.

Humphery-Smith had denied any wrongdoing but was unanimously convicted of fraud by abuse of position.

Although the firm was said to be in liquidation by the time he was jailed, the judge ruled the collapse had been brought about by falling sales during the pandemic.