AN ACCOUNTANT who swindled a Stroud charity out of more than £100,000 to fund his gambling addiction has been jailed for eight months.

Dominic Fox, 50, almost brought the Citizens Online charity to its knees and cost its office manager her job because she had unwittingly helped him with his fraud, Gloucester Crown Court heard on Monday.

Fox pleaded guilty to defrauding the charity by abusing his position as financial director between June 1 and November 30 last year.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said Fox had obtained the money by instructing office manager Linda Morris, who worked from home, to pay his salary in advance over and over again.

He would ask for his £2,400 monthly fee several times a month, ‘harassing and hassling her’ to pay him the money, Mr Kesner said.

When the fraud was finally uncovered, Fox had been overpaid £100,800.

Because he then declared himself bankrupt, the charity was unable to pursue him for the debt.

Recorder James Tindal said he accepted that initially Fox intended to repay the money to the charity, which is based in Stratford Court, Stratford Road, Stroud and helps ensure that the internet is available to everyone who wants to use it. But the amount soon got too large.

“In view of all the damage you have caused and the remarkable degree of selfishness you have shown I cannot suspend the prison sentence,” Mr Tindal said.

Mr Kesner had told the court that Fox, who lives in Reading, bombarded Mrs Morris with emails and texts demanding advance payments and he ‘held sway over her.’ Fox would tell her “You have my authority” or ‘That’s authorised’ or “It’s OK.”

Mrs Morris told the charity chief executive of her concerns and it was revealed that the charity was in a ‘precarious position’ financially with its reserves used up, Mr Kesner said, “It is a modest charity with just 24 employees and had a reserve for times when income was less than outgoings,” he said.

“It has also affected the reputation of the charity as a fundraiser because people don’t want to give money to charities if it is going to be used for gambling by the financial director.”

The court heard that Fox was made bankrupt in 2005 and lost his status as a chartered accountant as a result.

He discharged that bankruptcy but then declared himself bankrupt again after the offences were brought to light.

Andrew Walker, defending, said Fox was a hard working man but his gambling left him £30,000 in debt and he was desperately trying to pay it with riskier and riskier betting, using the charity’s money.

When he had been caught he had to confess his crimes to his partner - which ended in the break up of his relationship – and to his children, aged 12 and 18, said Mr Walker. Fox wept as Mr Walker said that telling the children had been the most difficult thing he had ever done.