A FINANCIAL advisor who conned clients out of nearly £600,000 to feed his gambling addiction has been jailed for six years.

Christopher Summers targeted a vulnerable woman with dementia who had never been responsible her finances and had no idea how much she had in the bank wrote 14 cheques worth almost £500,000.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard he duped two others into lending him money for investments, with the promise of interest in return.

Father-of-two Summers, 59, formerly from Ramsbottom, admitted to three counts of fraud.

Prosecutors say Santander staff became suspicious about cheques being made out to Summers from one victim.

He even tried to accompany the woman, in her 80s, to their Ramsbottom branch, after bank staff froze her account. She had no idea of the extent of her wealth, the court heard.

Defence counsel Julian Goode said his client was a man of previous good character who had turned to drink and gambling after the death of his parents.

He added: “The intention was to pay off debts rather than to an intention to fund a lavish lifestyle.”

Jailing him, Judge Nield said: “It is a great sorrow to this court to see somebody who has hitherto worked hard, led a productive lifestyle, been in a relationship which until shortly before this offending behaviour in 2016 appeared to be stable."