FORMER Kidderminster Harriers footballer, Darren Steadman, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for a series of frauds totalling almost £2 million.

Among them was dishonestly retaining almost £1 million stolen from a bank account of Habitat founder, Sir Terence Conran.

The former Harriers goalkeeper was described by Judge Michael Mott as "a very dishonest person".

Before handing down the sentence at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, Judge Mott heard that the 34-year-old had wrongfully obtained credits of £519,995 and £459,996.

West Mercia Police's economic crime unit arrested Steadman, of Greatfield Road, Kidderminster, in December, 2002 after the cash was siphoned off from Sir Terence's Abbey National account.

The police inquiry centred on the bank's retail customer services division in Bradford, West Yorkshire, from where the illegal transfers were thought to have been made.

Steadman tried to blame an unidentified venture capitalist called Colin or Clive McKay.

DC Gary Earp, from the economic crime unit, however, said there was no evidence that this person actually existed.

"It is unusual, to say the least, for an individual to transfer nearly £1 million into another person's bank account, without giving that person their first name, telephone number or contact address," he said.

"I am delighted by today's sentence. Sir Terence Conran's account has been repaid in full by his bank and further police enquiries are ongoing to recover £30,630.13 which is still outstanding."

Steadman admitted four counts of obtaining money transfers by deception amounting to £44,300 and four counts of copying a wage slip and power bills to defraud a finance company.

The judge also took into consideration the retention of criminal property to the value of £375,000, of which £368,000 was transferred to Steadman's account in Spain, three high value cheques totalling £446,000, and dishonestly obtaining £97,000 by using false details in Essex.

"You are clearly a very dishonest person and will only turn over a new leaf if you realise the cost to you and perhaps your family of being found out and punished is not a price worth paying," said Judge Mott.

Peter Arnold, defending, said his client has co-operated fully with the police, adding Steadman was merely the face or the front man of the scam.

"Although clearly involved, he was not someone who was at the top of the organisation," he said. "He was used by those at the top to do the work for them."

He added that Steadman's financial gain was a small percentage of the total.