An unregistered dentist who destroyed his patients' teeth has been jailed for five and a half years. 

Ronnie Barogiannis, 43, told his patients he was marrying the woman of his dreams and buying a luxury mansion. 

After becoming the first dentist in Scotland to be prosecuted for putting 900 lives at risk to HIV - he moved to East Yorkshire to ply his 'trade' under another name. 

A two-year investigation led to 700 people being interviewed over the hatchet job he had done to their teeth and gums - which led to serious infections. 

But Barogiannis was finally brought to justice at Hull Crown Court, East Yorks., after he was found practising at a property in Sweden. 

Read more: Unregistered dentist sorry for 'stupid mistake'

Detective Constable Lucy Khan of Humberside Police said: "He was so pleasant, convincing and charismatic - obviously an educated man. 

"But he believed his own stories in the own little world he created. 

"All along, he would say 'I am an excellent dentist.' But he was in a massive position of trust and he abused that trust." 

Barogiannis, born in Sweden but brought up by his Greek family, qualified as a dentist from the University of Malmo in 2003 and ran dental practices in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. 

His family fled the Greek economic collapse and he arrived in Scotland in 2013 after his mother invested £400,000 in the Bridge of Don Dental Clinic and Research Centre in Aberdeen. 

Speaking about the criminal's family, Det Con Khan said: "His mother played a big part in his life - she provided all his capital and she was the funder behind his success. 

"But he was an only child who wanted to keep his mother happy." 

But only two months after the clinic opened, NHS Grampian discovered 900 patients were at risk of blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis - due to poor hygiene practices. 

Barogiannis was working without General Dental Council (GDC) registration and became the first dentist in Scotland to be prosecuted for practising illegally. 

After being fined £500 for the misdemeanour, the dodgy dentist said: "You have to pay for your mistakes - and then hopefully I can move on." 

And he did - 400 miles south to Hull, East Yorks., using the registration details and name of another Greekdentist 'Nik Ntamparakis'. 

Read more: Unregistered dentist sorry for 'stupid mistake'

Barogiannis was then taken on at the former Hallgate House Dental Practice in Cottingham in August 2013. 

Speaking about the incident, DC Khan said: "They all knew him as Nik and were very shocked to find out he wasn't who he said he was. 

"He is a shrewd and canny man but very likeable. People all spoke highly of him but he lied about everything. 

"He used to tell them he was going back to Greece to get married, that he lived with his fiancée, that he was buying a mansion - but none of it was true." 

Barogiannis was caught out by his own lies when he sent an email to the practice manager exposing his real identity. 

By chance, another associate was becoming deeply alarmed by his stories and contacted the practice manager to voice suspicion, then called in police. 

A detective with 27 years' experience, Det Con Khan teamed up with the GDC and, working with a retired Met detective, the investigation began. 

Det Con Khan, who arrived at his home to arrest him in October 2014, said: "He told us we couldn't come in because his mother was there and told us not to call him Nik in front of her." 

His Greek passport seized, Barogiannis was bailed to return to Clough Road Police Station. 

However, four days after being questioned by detectives, he fled the UK, CCTV footage capturing him driving onto the ferry at Hull. 

It was only when he failed to answer bail in December 2014 that Det Con Khan realised he was on the run. 

The devious dentist had fled the country using his Swedish passport. 

Despite being a fugitive, Barogiannis still bombarded Det Con Khan with emails demanding the return of the property seized as part of her initial investigation. 

"He would email asking, 'Can I have my property back?' and I would reply, 'Certainly, come back and meet me at the police station and I'll give it to you'." 

Det Con Khan started contacting patients, interviewing 700 by the end of her investigation, and discovered the damage he had caused to unsuspecting patients who trusted him to look after their teeth. 

Speaking about the horrific finds, Det Con Khan said: "It has really questioned their vulnerability in placing trust in someone, even when they had to go back time and time again, got infections and had to go back in again 

"There was not a mention of anyone saying, 'This isn't right' because people trust dentists." 

Adding: "He caused permanent damage and a lot of trauma and there are people who won't go back to the dentist now because of him." 

Read more: Unregistered dentist sorry for 'stupid mistake'

Det Con Khan contacted the National Crime Agency, alerted Interpol and tracked down a PO address for Barogiannis. 

A European Arrest Warrant issued in January and was sent to Greek Police. 

Greek detectives then tracked the crook to Sweden and it as discovered he was practising in another dental practice and placed him under arrest. 

Extradited from Sweden, he appeared at Hull Crown Court in May of this year and admitted being paid £48,844.39 while practising fraudulently under an assumed name. 

Barogiannis originally denied eight counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) but then admitted ABH against five patients of the former Hallgate House Dental Practice.