A Bradford man has been jailed for his part in a bank swindle where nearly £200,000 in loans were set up using customers’ accounts.

Mark Kerr, 48, of Gain Lane, Thornbury, was part of a conspiracy led by Richard Crawford, a head of operations at First Direct Bank.

Crawford used his inside knowledge to set up loans in the names of customers and transfer cash into the accounts of his co-conspirators.

Kerr, who was introduced to Crawford by friend Kevin Tempest, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Alan Jones told Leeds Crown Court yesterday transfers into Kerr’s account totalled £24,150 and withdrawals made from it totalled £20,400 between December 24, 2008 and January 2, 2009.

A week after his account was exhausted he fled to Thailand where, the court heard, he had a young family. He wanted to use the money to help pay for them to come to England.

Kerr used to run a successful courier business, which had fallen on hard times. After moving to Thailand and meeting his wife he returned to England but struggled to find work.

Mitigating, Mark Foley said Kerr had become involved with the conspiracy when he was at “the lowest of ebbs”.

He was sentenced to 20 months for conspiracy to defraud after recruiting his son Aaron Kerr to the scam.

Mark Kerr also received a 12 month sentence for money laundering to run concurrently.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC said: “You took advantage when presented with an opportunity to make money for yourself.

“You took the additional step of involving somebody else, which was your son. That puts you into a level of conspirator. In the circumstances there must be an immediate sentence.”

On January 22, Crawford, 41, of Leeds, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering and fraud by a person in a position of trust.

Tempest, 40, and Gareth Seller, 24, of Tadcaster, and Aaron Kerr, 22, of Kent, were sentenced to two years after pleading guilty to money laundering.

Three Leeds men, aged 21, 22 and 24, a 32-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman from Kent, were given suspended prison sentences and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to money laundering.

A 25-year-old Kent man awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to money laundering and a 24-year-old Leeds woman has been charged with money laundering and will appear before Leeds Crown Court at a later date.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick McDermott, of West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Division, said: “This investigation has highlighted how these dishonest people have been driven by greed in order to make extra cash at the expense of others.

“Kerr recruited people to set up accounts through which the money could be laundered for financial gain.

“This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated and West Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit will continue to conduct thorough and detailed investigations in order to bring criminals such as Kerr to justice.”