A dishonest Suffolk letting agent who cheated his clients out of tens of thousands of pounds has been ordered to hand over his realisable assets of nearly £3,000.

Despite Roy Jackson’s criminal benefit being accepted as £49,544.57 only £2,964.27 can be clawed back from the crooked property agent whose business Suffolk Letting was based in St Nicholas Street, Ipswich.

If he fails to pay the money by April 30 he must serve a further six weeks in jail in default.

The judgment was made at a Proceeds of Crime hearing before Judge David Goodin at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Jackson, formerly of Goodwood Close, Ipswich, was imprisoned for 20 months in November last year after a fraud which the prosecution valued at £68,000. However, Jackson’s solicitor Roger Thomson claimed it was around £50,000.

Jackson cheated 31 of his landlords out of money. His victims were based in Ipswich, Wickham Market, Colchester, Waldringfield, Wales, Spain and France. The fraud related to 50 properties.

At Jackson’s sentencing Judge Peters Assistant Judge Advocate General told the 39-year-old: “You are quite frankly a dishonest man and there’s no getting around that. “

After closing Suffolk Lettings in St Peter’s Street, Ipswich, in January 2013, Jackson ran off with his clients’ money and found work at two estate agents in London.

He was arrested when about to fly out to Ibiza from Stansted airport in September last year.

Sentencing Jackson, formerly of Goodwood Close, Ipswich, Judge Peters said: “You never should have been running a business.

“You clearly have the gift of the gab. Gift of the gab is what you had. The ability to run a business is not what you had.

Jackson had pleaded guilty to fraud between January 2011 and January 2013 at his first appearance before Ipswich Crown Court.

After his sentencing Detective Constable Donna Whelan-Smith, who was hunting the conman for 18 months after he shut up shop and disappeared, said: “Mr Jackson had a clear intention to defraud and lie to his clients, some of whom were retired landlords whose livelihoods depended on the rental incomes that were stolen by him.

“He had no regard or sympathy for any of the victims which was clear when he was detained by police at Stansted airport about to board a flight to Ibiza for a holiday.”