Simon Higginson was jailed for five years for his part in defrauding Willis out of £1.7m

Gavel

Former Willis executive director Simon Higginson has been jailed for five years for his part in defrauding the broker out of £1.7m.

His partner Lee Willis was also jailed on Friday to four years for his part in helping to cover up the crime.

Higginson and Willis had each admitted a single count of conspiracy to defraud.

Higginson had pocketed the funds from Willis Group Holdings by making a series of false commission claims.

They set up companies companies which allowed them to claim commission in marine insurance deals, faking documents to make Higginson’s bosses think the deals were legitimate, Sky News reports.

The pair, who were jailed on Friday at Southwark Crown Court, used an Ecuadorian company and fake email addresses as part of their scheme which ran from August 2003 until January 2014