A former Norwich solicitor who was jailed after he took almost £2m from clients accounts as he tried to chase bogus lottery winnings has had his bid to appeal sentence refused.

Hugh Lansdell, a former senior partner at Hansells, took a total of £1,963,659.44 between 2015 and 2017 after becoming convinced he had won a Spanish lottery and needed the money to secure his winnings.

The 74-year-old devout Christian, who had wanted to give money to his local church, was sentenced to four years in prison at Norwich Crown Court after he admitted fraud.

Eastern Daily Press: Hugh LansdellHugh Lansdell (Image: Newsquest)But the case was at the Court of Appeal in London on Wednesday where an application for leave to appeal his sentence was heard by Lady Justice Macur, Mrs Justice Stacey and His Honour Judge Picton.

Eastern Daily Press: Court of AppealCourt of Appeal (Image: PA)Will Carter, for Lansdell, said it was his submission that the four year sentence was "too long".

He said Lansdell accepted what he had done was a "very serious breach of trust indeed" not just to his clients but also to his partners and solicitor firm.

But Mr Carter said it was a case of "quite extraordinary circumstances" where Lansdell himself had been a victim of fraud and had "lost everything" as a result.

He said Lansdell, formerly of The Close, Norwich, had "no interest whatsoever to enrich himself".

In refusing leave to appeal sentence, Mrs Justice Stacey said when Lansdell entered his guilty plea Recorder John Hardy had made no promises as to sentencing, stating all options were open, although he also "acknowledged it was a desperately sad case".

She said in sentencing Lansdell Recorder Hardy had taken "careful note of all the elements" of mitigation and had been "merciful" adding; "if anything this was a lenient sentence".

As previously reported, Lansdell believed "God had answered his prayers" after he received a letter about an £825,000 lottery win.

But he was informed that "in order to release the funds" he "had to himself make payments" to access them.

Ultimately Lansdell was informed he had won in excess of £10m with the payments he needed to make more than £228k.

Lansdell "initially made payments from his own and his wife's account" to the point the funds were "exhausted".

But after that and "still believing he was entitled to winnings" he "withdrew funds out of client's accounts without their consent".