A French appeals court sentenced former Societe Generale trader Jérôme Kerviel to three years in prison on Wednesday for his role in one of the world's biggest-ever trading scandals, upholding a 2010 decision that ordered him to repay his former employer €4.9bn.

The court's ruling on Wednesday was identical to the verdict rendered by a first instance court and showed the defence strategy of Kerviel and his lawyers, aimed at shifting part of the blame to the bank, has failed.