A FRAUDSTER who stole thousands of pounds from a children's football club was jailed for 16 months today.

Riki Hughes, 31, of King's Chase, Andover, pilfered the cash while secretary of Tidworth Town Football Club.

The court heard he spent the money on himself, including on a stag trip to Las Vegas.

The Iraq veteran made more than 70 bogus rent payments to bank account in the name of the club's landlord.

But the court heard the landlord, Aspire Defence, was not charging the club and the money was going straight into Hughes's pocket.

The former soldier and dad of two admitted stealing £17,000, but claimed he was owed around £4,000 back in expenses.

The prosecution claimed he stole more than £26,000.

Sentencing Hughes, Judge Barnett said: "For two years you milked the funds of that football club, set up principally for those involved in the services and their children.

"You in effect treated a great deal of club money as your own. It was spent on personal luxuries.

"That's a disgraceful thing to do."

Judge Barnett said Hughes's deceit, lies and abuse of trust had had a devastating effect on the club and the community.

Representing Hughes, Anne Brown said her client, who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, had led an exemplary military career with no criminal history, and called for a community order of unpaid work.

She said prison would have a tremendous impact on her client's family, who relied on his income as a telecoms engineer.

Hughes's relatives burst into tears as the sentence was handed down.

Speaking afterwards, Tidworth Town chairman David Ball said the club was happy justice had been done.

"It's a relief we can put this to bed now," he said, adding that the sentence would send a message to other would-be fraudsters that this sort of crime would not be tolerated in Wiltshire.