A modern-day Robin Hood who defrauded his employers of £17,000 and gave it to children's charities could face up to three years in jail.

Christopher Barrington, 46, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, admitted six counts of theft when he appeared at Cheltenham magistrates court on Thursday.

The court heard Barrington, a father-of-five, put the cash into two separate bank accounts.

But he paid all of the £17,635 stolen from Direct Marketing Partnerships in Cheltenham into children's charities and did not make a penny himself, the court was told.

The magistrates decided they did not have sufficient sentencing powers to deal with the case and committed Barrington to Bristol Crown Court, where he could face up to three years in jail.

Barrington's lawyer, Andrew Dutton, said his client had never revealed which charities the money went to for fear that the company would demand it back.

'No personal gain'

Mr Dutton said: "He wants the money to stay with the charities. The prospect of it being recovered from them is appalling to him."

He said: "What is clear and has been established by extensive police investigations is that there has not been any personal gain for him.

"Police carried out very thorough investigations into his financial affairs and they are satisfied he has not himself taken any personal gain from the money stolen."

Mr Dutton said his client had a "genuine concern and social conscience".

He said his client had disliked his employers but his main purpose was to benefit underprivileged children.

"He accepts now very fully that what he did was wrong and has suffered and expressed considerable remorse," said Mr Dutton.

Christopher Stock, prosecuting, told the court Barrington stole between £1,292 and £5,000 in six separate instalments between May and June last year.

Barrington was arrested in December and immediately admitted six charges of theft to police.

Barrington was released on conditional bail.