Fraudster faces jail after conning friends and church out of £1.5 million

An accountant from Heywood funded a gambling addiction by conning clients, friends and a local church out of a combined £1.5 million in a scam that lasted five years.

David John Atkinson, 59, of Walton Street, faces jail after convincing dozens of people to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in a scheme that he said would reap huge returns.

Atkinson also stole money from Spotland Methodist Church, where he was treasurer.

Instead of putting the cash towards the short-term, high interest investment opportunity, which Atkinson said involved his brother, who he claimed was a top barrister, he simply frittered all of the cash away in fuelling his gambling addiction.

Atkinson went bankrupt after spending £1.5 million gambling online.

He admitted 15 counts of theft during a trial at Bolton Crown Court and asked that another 58 thefts be taken into consideration. He has been remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced in February next year.

Since Atkinson has no assets it is unlikely that any of his victims will ever see their cash again.