A MAN who cheated his way into the top job at a Taunton charity won't have to repay any of the money he earned there after all.

Jon Andrewes falsified his CV to land the £75,000-a-year chief executive's job at St Margaret's Hospice, a crime that would eventually see him jailed.

Andrewes lied about his qualifications to secure the post at the organisation's Bishop's Hull HQ before later submitting further false CVs to con his way into top roles within the NHS and other charities.

Among the made up claims were that he had a joint first class degree and a doctorate.

There are even different spellings of his name on personal documents - he is variously Jon or John and Andrewes or Andrews.

A Proceeds of Crime order in 1918 saw his available assets of almost £100,000 confiscated, including a boat.

But the Court of Appeal has now reversed the decision as it considered Andrewes, 67, gave "full value" for the money he received and decided he should not be punished twice for the same crime.

Andrewes, who was actually a builder, was jailed for two years in 2017. Last year he was cleared at trial of fraud involving fake invoices at St Margaret's and other premises.

He was caught out when an investigation revealed glaring discrepancies between the CV he sent to St Margaret's and two others he wrote on his way to becoming chairman of Torbay NHS Care Trust and Royal Cornwall

He now lives in Stoke Gabriel, Devon, with his wife, Penny. The couple reportedly run a curtains and blinds company.

The Daily Mail reported that Mrs Andrewes told a reporter who called at their bungalow: "I'm sorry he doesn't want to talk about this.

"I understand why you've come, but I'm sorry we've been through enough."

A St Margaret's spokesman told the County Gazette: "We are disappointed that Mr Andrewes' appeal has been upheld, but are pleased that this final hearing brings this matter to a close.

"St Margaret’s Hospice Care has moved on and is focused on ensuring that our patients and their families across Somerset continue to receive compassionate end of life care and support when and where they need it most, particularly at this challenging time."