This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/7271602.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
University exam cheats sentenced 'Genius' exam cheat spared prison
(30 minutes later)
A high-flying City banker and an economics student have been given nine-month suspended jail sentences for cheating in exams at York University. A "genius" former City banker with Asperger's Syndrome and an economicsstudent have escaped jail for cheating in exams at the University of York.
Jerome Drean, who earned more than £2m ($4m) in the past three years, sat exams for 23-year-old Elnar Askerov. Jerome Drean, 34, and Elnar Askerov, 23, each received sentences of nine months jail suspended for two years.
The 34-year-old, who has worked at the Bank of America and Credit Suisse, posed as Askerov using a fake ID card. Drean netted £20,000 for posing as university student Askerov using a fake ID card, York Crown Court heard.
Both pleaded guilty at York Crown Court to conspiracy to defraud the university between January 2006 and May last year. Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the university between January 2006 and May last year.
They each denied further charges of using the fake ID with intent and Drean pleaded not guilty to one charge of acquiring £16,000 worth of criminal property and another of possessing criminal property valued at £4,000. The court heard that Drean, who has worked at the Bank of America and Credit Suisse and earned about £2m in three years, met Askerov a few years ago to help him with his studies.
Judge Stephen Ashurst ordered these charges to lie on file. Robert Smith QC, for Drean, said Askerov, who was described as "not particularly bright academically", asked Drean to sit his exams for him and paid him between £200 and £1,000 for each exam.
This conduct must be deeply offensive to the thousands of diligent students who do work hard Judge Stephen Ashurst
They were found out in May last year when an exam invigilator noticed that someone was preparing to sit the exam who was not on the course and that Askerov was not present.
Drean told police his motivation was "money and not wanting to let a friend down", but Mr Smith said his actions were "profoundly influenced by his disorder".
He said: "He displays a genius but also displays a lack of insight in ordinary social norms."
He said Drean was spoken of highly in the financial industry but would never be employed by a major bank again.
Both men, from London, were also sentenced to undertake a maximum of 300 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £1,360 each.
Judge Stephen Ashurst made a confiscation order for Drean to pay £16,000. He has already repaid £4,000.
Sentencing the men, he described this as a "highly unusual case".
"This conduct, and your conduct in particular, must be deeply offensive to the thousands of diligent students who do work hard," he said.