A mortgage adviser swindled £200,000 from friends and associates to feed his spiralling gambling addiction, a Court heard.

Kevin Barker’s victims included Paul Brook, who was best man at his wedding, and another friend who was a godparent to his children, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.

Barker, 31, was jailed for 18 months, but the judge, Recorder Paul Watson QC, said he had greatly reduced the sentence after reading glowing references from the complainants, who had not wanted him to be jailed.

Prosecutor Stephanie Hancock told the court Barker had abused the trust of close friends and associates, who he had advised through his part-owned company, K & B Mortgage Solutions, by telling them an “outright lie” about what he said was an opportunity to make money in property development.

Miss Hancock said 16 complainants put in various amounts of money, ranging from £5,000 to £25,000. She said they took out personal loans and readjusted their finances, on the promise that they would make money.

Miss Hancock told the court: “There was never any property development opportunity. It did not exist. He told lies to cover his gambling addiction. It spiralled out of control when he started borrowing from friends to pay back what he owed to others.”

She said Barker told one complainant his grandmother had died, another that his mother had got breast cancer, and a third that he had a funeral to attend in Liverpool, all claims which his supportive family said were true.

Miss Barker said the defendant’s mother discovered what her son had done and phoned all the complainants to tell them the truth and assure them she would try to pay them back.

Barker, of Derwent Road, Bolton, Bradford, then handed himself into police and admitted to what he had done. He pleaded guilty to 16 charges of fraud. Miss Hancock said that such was the affection of the complainants for the defendant, they did not want to give details to police.

Barker’s lawyer, Michael Reeves, said his client was misguided and that since his confession, Barker had attempted to deal with his addiction and had attended Gamblers Anonymous.

Recorder Watson said sentencing Barker gave him no pleasure, but it was fraud on a grand scale.

He said: “You swindled people, who you knew trusted you, who put their confidence in you, in a persistent and determined way.”

The judge said that in Barker’s favour was the fact he had handed himself in and readily made admissions, He added: “I have also read some remarkable testimonials written by people including Mr Brook, somebody who clearly lost a significant amount to you and your fraud, but even now, and to this day, he is prepared to speak highly of you.

“In one sense it makes it worse because it demonstrates the affection these people had for you, which you so blatantly abused in order to lay your hands on their money to feed your gambling thrill.”