A 20-year-old has been jailed for a year for keeping almost £25,000 wrongfully paid into his bank account by an NHS cancer trust.

Ronel Kiyanga was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court last Friday after being found guilty of two counts of retaining a wrongful credit.

He was charged with the crime in November 2013, eight months after police were contacted by the Christie NHS Foundation Trust as it was concerned about payments made to one of its suppliers.

The Manchester-based trust had been emailed by someone who claimed to be from their supplier’s finance department.

In the email it explained that the supplier had changed bank accounts and that future payments should be made into a new account.

The trust made two payments in October 2012, totalling just over £24,500, into what they believed was their supplier's bank account.

But some time afterwards the trust was contacted by the supplier asking for payment.

The NHS fraud team and then the police were called in after the supplier said it had not changed its email address and the trust realised it had been conned.

Officers discovered the bank account the money had been paid into was linked to Kiyanga and he was arrested on May 31, 2013, at his house in Shepherds Way, South Croydon.

When questioned about the money he claimed it was a compensation payout linked to an accident claim.

Police investigated his claims that he was expecting a compensation payout for an accident, but found no evidence of any truth in this.

Kiyanga was eventually charged in late November 2013 with retaining wrongful credit. He stood trial at Croydon Crown Court in February 2015, where he was found guilty of the offences and sentenced.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Rob Wevill said: "Although we were never able to prove Kiyanga had knowledge of, or was involved in getting the NHS Trust to pay the money into his account, anyone receiving unexpected payments for this amount of money should have reported it to the bank or police.

"Kiyanga, on the other hand, decided to go out almost immediately and spend the money, buying foreign currency and high value tech goods worth over £20k.

"Anyone who mistakenly receives money into their account should report it to their bank immediately, however large or small the sum.

"In this case it was patently obvious that Kiyanga was not the rightful or intended recipient and he is now facing a custodial sentence for his dishonesty."

A confiscation hearing, to try and get back the £24,500, is due to take place at Croydon Crown Court on June 12.