A FINANCE manager at a charity for disabled children and adults was jailed for two years and nine months after pocketing £150,000 of charity cash.

John Cunningham, 35, began stealing cash just months into his job at Dorset Scope spending it on expensive motorbikes and cars.

But in January 2007 Cunningham's conscience got the better of him and he walked into Poole police station to confess to his crime, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Elaine James said that Cunningham, of Leeson Drive, Ferndown, began working as a finance manager for Dorset Scope in October 2003, where he was responsible for managing the accounts of the charity and was one of the main signatories of the charity's bank accounts.

Cunningham began cashing cheques for small amounts of £500 and £1,000 before graduating to larger sums of £3,000 and £4,000 in a period between April 2004 and January 2007, said Ms James.

Cunningham, who has no previous convictions, told police that during that period he was having matrimonial problems which led to an increase in his cost of living.

Cunningham pleaded guilty to theft of £150,000.

Defence barrister Edmund Griff said that Cunningham wished to make a public apology to "all those he has wronged" including his former colleagues, people who had donated to the charity and to the people who should have benefited from the cash.

Mr Griff added: "It was Mr Cunningham himself who brought these offences to light. It was not under investigation. No-one had any idea this was going on. His expression of remorse in court today is genuine and heartfelt."

Judge John Beashel described Cunningham's actions as "a sustained and deliberate course of conduct".

He added: "The long period of offending is an aggravating feature of this offence. People trusted you to look after the money. You breached their trust by stealing monies donated by people for charitable purposes."

Speaking afterwards DC Michael Garrett of Poole CID, described Cunningham's crime as "quite unusual".

He added: "He deceived people and stole a vast amount of money for his own gains. He had three or four cars and two motorbikes.

"I think he had got to a point where he realised he couldn't cover up much longer so faced the inevitable and gave himself up."