A FORMER bank manager previously jailed for fleecing a golf club of £124,000 was last night back behind bars.

Alan Christopher Craddock, 56, was given the six-month sentence after Durham Crown Court heard how he opened credit card accounts in the name of the previous occupant of his home.

Despite making minimal payments to keep the accounts open, he ran up debts of £16,916 using the five cards, by the time it came to light last year.

David Crook, prosecuting, said police found credit card statements in the name of the person he bought the house from in 2001.

Further inquiries revealed Craddock's use of the false identification to obtain the cards, which, as a discharged bankrupt, he would not have been allowed to open under his own name.

When arrested, Craddock told police he had £30,000 of his own legitimate debts, while also funding the mortgage on the house, in Croxdale Grove, Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Mr Crook said that because minimum payments were made to keep the accounts open, it had not led to the innocent victim being credit black-listed, but he had been, "shocked by the abuse of his name and identification".

The court heard that Craddock was jailed for 30 months in 1997 after abusing his position of trust as treasurer of Bishop Auckland Golf Club to furnish his lavish lifestyle.

He set up a phantom bank account and altered bank documents to enable him to divert club money.

It only came to light when the club planned to make course and clubhouse improvements and discovered there was nothing in its account. Craddock disappeared and wrote to friends threatening suicide, but was traced and arrested.

The club was forced to take out a long-term loan to fund the work and took civil action to recover property from Craddock's luxury home at the time, in Woodhouse Lane, Bishop Auckland.

Craddock's latest dishonesty resulted in him admitting five counts of making a false instrument and five of obtaining services by deception.

John Gillette, mitigating, told yesterday's hearing that the beginnings of Craddock's downfall came after he took voluntary redundancy from his position as a manager with Barclays Bank, with whom he had carved a successful career, in 1993.

"He fell into financial difficulties, living beyond his means, and led to the golf club conviction in 1997.

"He was subsequently declared bankrupt, from which he is now discharged.

"This opportunity literally fell into his lap when an application came for a credit card, addressed to the previous occupier of that address.

"He successfully applied for it, and did it four more times."

Mr Gillette said Craddock was keen to apologise to the previous householder and his family.

He said Craddock's wife had received a caution for assisting an offender, on the basis that he eventually told her of his activities, but she helped in paying money each month to the credit card companies.

Despite the strain it caused, Mr Gillette said she was standing by her husband.

He added that the couple may have to sell their home to repay the credit card companies the £16,916 owed.

Jailing him, Judge Beatrice Bolton told Craddock: "In 1993, you left a well-paid job as a bank manager when you were offered redundancy.

"It's quite clear that you and your wife had great difficulty adjusting to the change of lifestyle and it led to you receiving 30-months for theft in 1997."

Judge Bolton said Craddock, "got greedy", taking advantage of the credit card offer to the previous householder.

"You had no hope of paying these accounts off, and merely hoped something might turn up.