A LYING husband has been jailed for 18 months for hiding some of his assets during divorce proceedings.

Susan Shipley had to settle for much less financially than she should have received after her marriage with Graham Shipley broke up in the 1980s, York Crown Court heard.

First he hid from her a £150,000 gift, then he managed to stop maintenance payments to her on the grounds he could not pay when in fact he had £250,000 in undeclared assets.

Jailing him for 18 months on two charges of perjury, Recorder Deborah Sherwin told him: "Most of your problems are of your own making.

"Whenever you are in trouble, you automatically resort to lies until you are found out. Unfortunately, you are going to pay the price for it."

Waste recycler employee and former North Yorkshire special constable Shipley, 57, formerly of Ampleforth, and now of Mullinaclry, Clones, County Monaghan, Irish Republic, denied both charges, but was convicted by a York jury in January.

The judge said he had lied on oath during his trial, as had his former boss Frank Cosgrove, "no doubt out of loyalty and friendship to you".

For Shipley, John Cartwright said he was suffering from high blood pressure and stress as a result of the court proceedings.

The offences had been committed during "emotionally" charged divorce proceedings.

Shipley would lose his job and his home and his child would suffer, said Mr Cartwright.

Shipley's second wife Jennifer, now of Strensall, revealed the perjury when their marriage broke up in 1999.

The court heard Shipley will have to get a probation officer's permission to return to the Irish Republic when he leaves prison.

Updated: 09:09 Saturday, March 22, 2003