Investors who dreamed of restoring a butcher's shop to Worle High Street employed a manager to see it through. But instead of making the business flourish he killed it by pilfering funds as he fed a gambling addiction, a court heard.
Michael Vowles, 28, of Avonmouth Road in Avonmouth, pleaded guilty to theft and two charges of fraud. He appeared before Bristol Crown Court for sentence today (Wednesday, June 29).
Judge Julian Lambert jailed him for a year. He told Vowles: "It is not the money. It is the impact on people that's the most important thing.
