Adam Kirkbride, once a prominent figure in the industry, exploited his role as a director of three companies to fraudulently take £60,000 from a pensioner, despite having previously faced a director banning order.
The 32-year-old resident of Cobble End, Bassenthwaite in Keswick pleaded guilty to fraud at Newcastle Crown Court after misappropriating £60,000 that a pensioner had entrusted to him for investment in one of his firm's upcoming projects.
Rather than protecting the funds, he diverted them to cover personal bills and repay loans. Kirkbride dishonestly accessed the money even though he had been disqualified from serving as a director in 2012 due to a bankruptcy order.
He acknowledged misusing his authority while managing a company, convincing the pensioner to invest in a development that had yet to be constructed. As a result, he was sentenced to four years in prison.