AN office manager who stole more than £400,000 from the firm of solicitors for whom he worked was told he is facing a prison sentence.

David George Clattenberg took the money from Singleton Winn Saunders over a near ten-year period when he ran the firm’s office in Byker, Newcastle.

Appearing at Durham Crown Court, the 44-year-old defendant, of Tavern Close, Cramlington, Northumberland, admitted theft, between July 2005 and January 2007, and fraud by abuse of position, between January 2007 and March 2015.

Taryn Turner, for Clattenberg, said his pleas were on the basis he took £412,546, and not the figure of £455,696 put forward by the Crown.

Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, the difference arises from £43,000 in withdrawals made by the defendant which he claims were for legitimate office expenses.

She added: “I can’t possibly vouch for the fact they are honest and accurate, but I can say the Crown couldn’t prove it to a criminal standard at a trial of issue, but it wouldn’t make a significant difference to sentence.”

As the firm is well known in legal circles in the region, Judge Christopher Prince said the sentence should be passed by a judge outside the North-East circuit.

Mrs Turner said despite his lack of previous convictions, the defendant is aware of the, “inevitability of a custodial sentence.”

But, she said character testimonials would be handed to the court for the sentencing hearing, at a date and venue to confirmed.

Bailing Clattenberg until the sentencing hearing, Judge Prince told him: “You will receive a custodial sentence, and you have known that all along.”

He asked for preparation of a background report on the defendant by the Probation Service, prior to sentence.

Clattenberg, dismissed for gross misconduct, in April, 2015, was banned from working for any law firm, by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority, in April last year