An accountant who stole more than £700,000 from charities and clients over 12 years, has been jailed.
Anthony Roberts, 73, of Tanpits Lane, Burton, Lancashire, admitted six counts of theft and four of false accounting and was jailed for six years.
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard Roberts stole from six charities and two clients from 1992 to 2004.
Roberts wrote letters to his victims and went to police when he realised his deception was out of control.
The court heard that Roberts had almost been caught out in 2002 by one of the charities, so stole from others to cover his tracks.
Roberts set up his own accountancy firm Roberts & Co in 1987 and relocated to Stockport, Greater Manchester in 1991.
He got into debt over rent arrears and began to steal from clients.
"He was regarded as a family friend by two of the victims, which has made his deceit even harder for them to bear"The court heard the deception escalated when he became part of another company, North West Nominees Ltd, in 1993.
His role involved managing charities' money.
Roberts stole about £300,000 from a charity called Doctors Green and Slater Rest Houses.
He also stole over £180,000 from Sir Ralph Pendlebury's Charity For The Aged and Sir Ralph Pendlebury's Charity For The Orphans.
His thefts have devastated the charities and left them unable to offer their usual financial support.
Roberts also took money from The Ephraim Hallam Educational Foundation and the Stockport Educational Foundation.
'Funded lifestyle'
Roberts went to police in January 2007.
Det Con Paul Walls, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Roberts was in a position of trust and his actions have had devastating consequences for the charities and people involved.
"He was regarded as a family friend by two of the victims, which has made his deceit even harder for them to bear.
"Roberts not only used the cash he had stolen to pay his business debts, he also used it to fund his own lifestyle, owning two properties and putting his children through university.
"The future of some of the charities is under threat as a result and I only hope they are able to get some of their money back now this case is over."
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is set to take place in December.
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