Sentence has been adjourned on a terminally ill pensioner who stole more than £58,000 while treasurer of a working men’s club after a judge insisted he should be present to learn his fate.

Judge Heather Baucher said of Roy Weston: “He has to be here. If not, a warrant will be issued. I will even send a police car to go and get him.”

The 73-year-old was convicted in his absence on Tuesday, August 9 of theft and three fraud offences.

He had not attended his trial since Tuesday, August 2, claiming he was too ill to travel to court.

Weston, who is receiving only palliative care for prostate cancer, had not finished giving evidence but the judge took the unusual decision to continue without him.

He denied siphoning off the cash from Rusthall Working Men’s Club over nearly four years.

But married Weston, of Fremlin Close, Rusthall, took funds from lottery machines at the club, fiddled the banking of cheques and raided the members’ Christmas fund.

Finances were checked and on the figures provided by Weston it was running almost at a loss. The club went into the red and it was given an overdraft of £8,500.

There was only £3,309 in the “Thrift” Christmas club account when there should have been about £7,449.

Judge Baucher said of Weston not attending for his trial: “His GP declared him fit. To be quite frank he knew the day was up.”

The judge spoke of the delays in the case. Weston first appeared in December 2013 and the trial was listed for May 2014.

“This trial was the fifth time it had been listed,” she said. “During that time some witnesses have died and another was very ill.”

One prosecution witness was seriously ill during the trial and chose not to have surgery so that she could give evidence.

Sentence was adjourned until August 26.