A charity organiser has critisised as "lenient" the sentence handed down to a fraudster who preyed on the goodwill of others.
Ruth Salahi believes the community service and suspended prison sentence given to Gary Ferris, 38, from Ashford, was far too lenient for a man who had damaged the dreams of terminally ill children.
The chairman of Essex-based Hopes and Dreams said: "I just couldn’t believe it. He has been doing this for so long"
Ferris ran charity race nights but pocketed the money himself.
He admitted taking a total of £8,210. But a judge at canterbury Crown Court handed him a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
He appeared for sentence having admitted 15 fraud charges committed between October 2007 and April 2008.
Mrs Salahi said: "All of the people who donated thought they were giving to our charity but in reality they were donating to Gary Ferris’ life style. He has damaged terminally ill children’s dreams.
"This is just how he makes his money and I doubt he will show any remorse. It is so sad, not just for us but for other charities as well, as people will have to think twice before donating. It makes me feel so sick.
"I don’t think this sentence will stop him doing it again, in the end he has had the last laugh.
"We work so hard raising funds. We are one of the few charities in the country that runs on an entirely voluntary basis.
"None of us at Hopes and Dreams is on a wage, so all money raised goes to fulfilling dreams for very sick children