AN ABBEYSTEAD man has been jailed for 10 years and fined more than £300,000 for smuggling illegal immigrants into Greece.

Michael James Wood, 45, was sentenced just five days after being arrested on the island of Egina.

Greek authorities say the verdict is a 'milestone' in the fight against illegal immigration.

As he was being lead away in handcuffs, Wood said: "I can't believe it.

I never thought it would come to this.

It's impossible.

I'm ruined.

It will take years before I can even appeal.

"I thought that in the worst of cases I would get two years, as proposed by the Prosecutor.

This is unbelievable".

The court also ratified the confiscation of his yacht, the 50ft, Greek-registered Elena B, which will be used by the Greeks to fight illegal immigration.

Egina island harbour Police Chief Nikos Nikolatos, who headed the operation and capture of Wood last Saturday night, said after the verdict: "We do not want to gloat over any verdict.

We are not made happy by seeing anybody go to prison.

But this decision was a milestone in European efforts to combat human trafficking, because it was the first time that a European citizen, in this case an Englishman, was arrested and sentenced for the offence"

Kosmas Tzathas, the Deputy Chief of Egina Harbour Police, who headed the prosecution team in court, said: "We feel that we have done a good job, both for the sake of combating the growing problem of illegal migration into the EU, as well as for the sake of the migrants themselves.

Everyone must learn that they cannot exploit the misery of these people for the sake of profit".

Tzathas said Wood's hopes of a more lenient sentence were dashed when he could not identify his Greek associate, identified only as 'George'.

Wood claimed that he had gone to the Turkish coast from the nearby Greek Dodecannese islands to pick up holidaymakers, but that instead the migrants swarmed and took over the yacht.

The court dismissed the claim because the two day trip from the Turkish coast to Egina island, close to Athens, gave Wood every opportunity to notify authorities.

The Prosecutor at the trial, which took place in the port city of Piraeus, had proposed a two-year sentence.

But the court President called that 'too lenient.'

"There can be no excuse for what this man has done", said Maria Dimitriou: "He has bought and sold the hopes of destitute people.

He risked their lives for the sake of money.

They could have died while trying to get ashore, as has happened in many cases throughout the world.

"But he did not care, even though among the refugees there were eight women and five children".

Wood was arrested on Saturday while trying to put the 75 refugees ashore under cover of darkness.

The island police chiefs said that 71 of the refugees have already been arrested and will be sent back to their countries of origin, mainly Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

They said possible exceptions would be made for those facing health problems, as well as for the women and children, who will be considered as political asylum cases.

Greece claims it is being 'flooded' by illegal immigrants because of its vulnerability.

In 2001 alone, 71 ships were confiscated and more than 100 smugglers arrested and convicted in Greece.

Wood started his sentence last night (Wednesday) at Korydallos prison on the outskirts of Athens.

He was given the maximum sentence despite receiving British consular assistance and the help of a lawyer.