A SERIAL conman who once posed as a locum doctor at York District Hospital has been convicted of stealing a £55,000 sports car after pretending to be a tycoon.

Paul Bint posed as a millionaire to dupe garage staff and take an Aston Martin. The 35-year-old was convicted by a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court, with his sentence deferred until later this month for reports. The jury had no idea of Bint's 20-year criminal history, in which he has masqueraded as a doctor, a barrister, an investment banker, a nightclub owner and even the Duke of Arundel.

His exploits - which experts have said are due to "impersonation syndrome", caused by severe psychological problems - have earned him the tabloid nickname King Con.

Over the years, the bogus medic has managed to arrange X-rays, attend a man with a collapsed lung, put 12 stitches in a patient's head wound and even tried to bluff his way into a heart bypass operation. On one occasion, he groped a woman's breasts, saying: "Trust me, I'm a doctor."

One of his most distressing offences came in 1992 at York District Hospital when, wearing a white coat and stethoscope, he told the parents of a 17-year-old road accident victim from near Selby that she would live. She died only hours later.

Security procedures at the hospital were re-checked following his release from jail in 1996.

Updated: 10:55 Thursday, November 15, 2001