Fraudster Mark Wilkinson fabricated outlandish "business opportunities" to cheat £114,000 from his unwitting victims – including pretending he had been gifted a palace and millions of pounds from a generous Arab sheikh.

The 34-year-old was yesterday jailed for three years after admitting a string of frauds by a judge who labelled him a "ruthless professional conman".

Lincoln Crown Court heard that Wilkinson, who worked in a humble job for a firm of bailiffs, targeted and befriended his victims while on shooting parties.

The Spalding man persuaded one couple, Mark and Kirsty Bland, to hand over £26,000 for an investment opportunity after convincing them he had won the favour of his "fake sheikh" in early 2006.

When they pressed him for their money back, he pretended he was dying of cancer and the couple never saw their money again.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said: "Wilkinson contacted them saying he had become friendly with a wealthy sheikh who had given him a palace and millions of pounds.

"Although these stories now seem ridiculous, at the time they seemed plausible."

Wilkinson told the couple he had sold some of the land given to him by the sheikh and was using the proceeds to invest in a land deal in Spain.

The court heard he suggested they put in £30,000 but the couple could only raise £26,000, which they subsequently handed over.

Mr Scott said: "When they asked about the investment, Wilkinson fobbed them off with excuses to explain the delay.

"In March 2007 he told Mr Bland he was dying of cancer. The Blands decided not to pursue him because they believed no one would lie about such a matter."

The court heard Wilkinson went on to scam nearly £20,000 from another victim. George Cooper paid for seven speedboats at £1,000 each, as well as for two trawlers and a barge – none of which he ever received.

Two other men, Lance Whittington and Roger Oxley, also lost thousands after handing Wilkinson cash for non-existent vehicles.

Wilkinson, of Shotshole Bank, Spalding, admitted five charges of deception and three of fraud between November 2004 and January 2008.

He also asked for six further offences to be taken into consideration.

Jailing him for three years, Judge Robert Alan Brown told Wilkinson: "You are a cheat. You are a liar. You are a professional conman.

"You are no doubt plausible when convincing your prey but ruthless. All you are interested in is if they have money and how you can con it out of them. The public needs protecting from you."

Noel Philo, mitigating for Wilkinson, said his client had got into financial difficulties after borrowing money from a loan shark.

He said the conman's victims had been "happy to swallow the most extraordinary stories".

"It is very difficult to understand how they can have been taken in by the lies he was spinning," he said.