Crooked accountant who stole more than £413k will pay back just £36k (From Dudley News)

Crooked accountant who stole more than £413k will pay back just £36k

11:31am Tuesday 8th May 2012 in News

A CROOKED Dudley accountant and former West Midlands football club chairman who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle after ripping off clients of more than £413k has been told he must pay back just £36k.

Bill Williams is currently serving a five and a half year jail term for stealing the £276k life insurance and pension policies of Andrew Diack who was stabbed to death in a Black Country public house.

The money should have gone to Mr Diack's three year old daughter Megan who was born just days after he was brutally murdered in the Flying Dutchman pub in the Merry Hill area of Wolverhampton.

Williams, who stole funds from his Dudley based accountancy firm Williams & Co, also left other victims in his wake after getting them to hand over their hard earned money on the false promise it would be invested and earn them top rates of interest.

But the 60-year-old former chairman of Tipton Town FC, who assured his victims he was a highly qualified accountant used their cash for luxury holidays, season tickets at Aston Villa and to buy expensive motor cars.

The conman was brought back before Wolverhampton Crown Court (Friday) to face a Proceeds of Crime hearing and Judge John Warner was told only £36k from his ill-gotten gains was available for seizure He made a confiscation order in that amount and ruled the money taken by Williams through his Dudley firm should be distributed amongst the victims of his crimes.

After being jailed last year Williams returned to the Crown Court to admit eight further charges of obtaining money by deception and three of false representation committed between 2002 and 2007.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose bank and building society accounts in his name after being declared bankrupt, making a false statement under oath and failing to deliver records of his estate after being made bankrupt.

The father of two of Chester Road, West Bromwich - is expected to be sentenced for those additional offences in August.

He was warned by Judge Warner he must pay the £36k within six months or face a further 21 months behind bars.