A GAMBLER and a builder who stripped the gate receipts from Hartlepool United’s home games before defrauding a business contact to replace it have been jailed.

Stephen Murrall, a former general manager of Swindon Town Football Club, who was announced as the Pools' new chairman in 2014, and Peter Harris were trying to convince the Football League they were fit and proper persons to take over the League Two club, at the time of their fraudulent activity.

It was one of a series of frauds Murrall had carried out, two of which also involved Harris, Warwick Crown Court heard.

They were convicted of fraud last month after a five-week trial.

At a sentencing hearing today, Murrall, 49, was jailed for eight years and disqualified from being a director for nine years, while Harris, 47, was handed a 30-month prison term and disqualified from being a director for six years.

When the takeover was announced, Harris stated: “We have no links with Hartlepool. It’s a very professional outfit. The business is well run, very efficient and that’s what attracted me to the club in the first place.”

Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC had said in 2014, in a bid to take over Hartlepool United, the two men set up a company called TMH 2014 Ltd, referencing the supporters’ nickname of The Monkey Hangers. After agreeing to take over the club, which has since dropped into the National League, for a nominal £5, they had to show the League they were fit and proper persons to run the club.

But they immediately instructed Hartlepool’s finance officer that all money from home matches should go into TMH’s bank account.

A total of £42,453 from two home games was paid into the TMH account, but did not stay there, and the League made enquiries, wanting to know the two men were good for the money.

After concerns were raised over the missing money, the deal stalled. The decision to call of the deal proved costly to the club’s then chairman, Ken Hodcroft.

Miss Moore said Murrall was “a gambler in the true sense", while Harris had "no real experience of finance or running a company of any note".

The frauds by Murrall and Harris, both of Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, came to light after Murrall was made bankrupt in 2015.