HAMPSHIRE cricket hero Robin Smith was the victim of a crooked accountant who stole thousands of pounds from wealthy clients to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Former England star Smith was stung for £45,000 by ponytailed conman Andrew Day, whose Southampton consultancy had been trusted to invest the cash on his behalf.

The 45-year-old received a three-year jail sentence at Winchester Crown Court yesterday after swindling a total of £240,000 from four clients. And today batsman Smith said his former accountant should have been jailed for longer.

"It was just a disgrace what he did. As far as I am concerned he got away lightly," he said. Day, who was neither authorised or insured to act as an investment adviser, persuaded clients to part with tens of thousands of pounds with his smooth-talking.

But, instead of looking after their interests, the father-of-two was living it up on their savings and, in one case, pension fund contributions.

With his slicked-back grey hair and stubble, Day was a far cry from the typical chartered accountant. His famous clients included top London chef Marco Pierre White and Day lapped up the high-living, spending a fortune on trips abroad and expensive restaurants.

Day squandered thousands at Harrods, Harvey Nicholls, Selfridges and posh hotels in Hampshire and London. But the champagne lifestyle was to end in tatters when allegations of malpractice surfaced in September 1996.

Within seven months, he had been arrested, declared bankrupt and kicked out of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Sentencing yesterday, Judge Jeremy Burford QC told him: "This was a gross breach of the trust of these four clients.

"I accept you were under severe financial pressure and I accept you now show remorse but I am in no doubt that only a custodial sentence can be justified."

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