A lettings agency fraudster who scammed thousands of pounds from students and tenants in Canterbury has been jailed for 18 months.

Christine Cork ran New Horizons – a company arranging student accommodation in the city in 2010 working from an office in University Road.

The 53-year-old, who admitted two fraud charges, collected rent from tenants but pocketed the cash instead of paying landlords.

At the same time she demanded students hand over £200 in deposits, but failed "to safeguard that money as she was required to do so by law", Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Passing sentence, Judge James O'Mahony told Cork she committed a "significant breach of trust".

"You ripped off tenants and you were trusted by landlords with a substantial amount of money and they were amazingly sympathetic and patient..." - Judge James O'Mahony

He said: "You ripped off tenants and you were trusted by landlords with a substantial amount of money and they were amazingly sympathetic and patient, unaware that you were defrauding them.

"You prioritised your needs over those of landlords and students. You also made allegations against a blameless employee who was arrested and interviewed and you also got your partner to launder some of the money."

Cork's lover Martin Le Lacheur – who had lived with her in Miller Close, Canterbury – was convicted by a jury of acquiring criminal property "knowing or suspecting that money was the proceeds of Cork’s criminal conduct".

He was handed a nine-month prison sentence – suspended for two years. Le Lacheur was also ordered to do 250 hours' unpaid work and obey a six-month curfew, from 8.30pm to 5am, under tag.

Police financial experts had claimed Cork swindled more than £75,000 in the two years the business was running.

However, lawyers for the thieving proprietor claimed that after business deductions and maintenance costs, the figure was nearer £50,000.

She was sentence on an agreed figure of £60,000.

The jury had heard how that by January last year, New Horizons was in "terminal decline" and Cork used Le Lacheur's bank account to salt away thousands of pounds.

Prosecutor Anthony Prosser explained students looking for somewhere to live during the academic year were asked to pay Cork's company a £125 administration fee plus a £200 deposit, which was expected to be returned at the end of the tenancy.

He said that under the 2007 Tenancy Deposit Protection legislation all deposits, which totalled more than £6,000, had to be placed in a government-approved scheme.

Instead, Cork put their cash into her business account "where she could spend the money" and when her business partner Julie Morgan asked for the records to be examined by an accountant, the devious fraudster lied to police.

Cork made a spiteful claim that her partner had "stolen" £500, which police believe was to deflect attention from her double dealings and officers quickly dismissed the allegation.

But the two fell out and Cork, who had handled all the finances, now ran the business by herself – and therefore away from prying eyes, the court heard.

Checks revealed that even though one of the landlords with six properties had not required students pay the deposit, Cork was still pocketing the cash from them.

And when landlords complained about rent arrears, Cork fobbed them off with stories and continued to blame her previous partner.

Cork also rejected requests from 29 students for the return of their deposits, telling them the £200 was "a holding fee".

Mr Prosser said as debts to landlords began to mount, one of them went to her home in Wingham only to be told by her: "It's gone, I haven't got the money. I've got a lot of personal debt. I'm going to have to declare myself insolvent."

And even when she was questioned by police over her fraud, Cork tried to blame her ex-partner before pointing the finger at a debt advice agency.

The crooked boss said she had "lost heart in the business, took her eye off the ball and started robbing Peter to pay Paul".

However, checks revealed she had been using her business account to pay her own rent, fuel and food bills since the summer of 2010.

The remainder of the business account cash was then switched to Le Lacheur's account to pay off a car loan.