Charles Ingram denied all the charges

Ingram, 40, of Easterton, Wiltshire, was last month found guilty of two charges of deception relating to two house contents insurance policies.

He was cleared of a further five counts and on Friday a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court gave him a two-year conditional discharge.

Ingram found infamy after cheating his way to a �1m prize on the television quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Judge Samuel Wiggs told the court Ingram was a man who had already been severely punished as he had lost out financially and was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Ingram, who was forced to resign his army commission in August this year, appeared to be on the verge of tears as the sentence was delivered.