Fake sheikh dubbed a ‘frightened man’ as he is jailed for 15 months
DISGRACED undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, known as the Fake Sheikh, was jeered at the Old Bailey yesterday as he was jailed for 15 months.
Mahmood, who boasted of putting 100 people behind bars, was said to be a “very frightened man” as he entered prison last night.
News UK, owners of The Sun on Sunday, later announced that they have sacked him.
Mahmood, who made his name at the News of the World before it was shut in 2011, was jailed for tampering with evidence in the cocaine trial of former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos.
Judge Gerald Gordon said Mahmood was driven to commit the crime to “preserve and enhance” his reputation.
“You wanted another scalp and Ms Contostavlos’s conviction would have achieved that. To achieve it, you were prepared for the court to be deceived,” he said.
Shouts of “Your turn now, Mazher” and “Enjoy it” echoed round the court as he was taken to the cells.
In the packed public gallery were former London’s Burning actor John Alford and former heavyweight boxing champion Herbie Hide.
Both are believed to be among several of Mahmood’s “targets” who are suing him and his billionaire former boss Rupert Murdoch for up to £800million.
Mahmood, 53, of Purley, south London, and his driver Alan Smith, 67, of Dereham, Norfolk, were both found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice earlier this month.
Smith was given a 12-month suspended sentence. Dressed like Lawrence of Arabia, Mahmood often posed as a wealthy Middle East prince to con celebrities.
John Kelsey-Fry, defending, said yesterday: “He stands before you a very frightened man.
“If, over the years, you have been responsible for sending many individuals to prison and working with police, Mr Mahmood is not expecting to be the most popular inmate in prison.
“For him it is likely to be much harder than many other members of the prison population.”