The 32-year-old abused his position while acting in the management of a company by siphoning off £60,000 that had been invested by a pensioner into his residential housing development company.

The company planned to buy land for a proposed housing development in Heywood, Greater Manchester. 

Kirkbride was bankrupt at the time, meaning he was not allowed to act in the management of a company, and breached a 12-year director ban by managing three companies while disqualified from acting as a director of a company.

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He was sentenced to four years in prison when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday 19th April, and further banned as a director until April 2036. 

Kirkbride pleaded guilty to fraud against the person who invested £60,000, acting in the management of Kirkbride Group Ltd, Kirkbride Homes Limited and Kirkbride Homes I Limited while bankrupt and to acting in the management of APK Construction Services UK Limited, APK Holdings Ltd and Able Skip Hire Limited while disqualified as a director. 

Julie Barnes, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “The offences committed by Adam Kirkbride involved deceit, dishonesty, and deliberate concealment of his status as someone prohibited from acting in the management of a company.

“Kirkbride was motivated purely by personal gain and his fraudulent behaviour involved the abuse of power, trust and responsibility.

“His actions caused serious financial losses and he now has the chance to reflect on his criminal behaviour from behind bars.”