A MAN whose wife plundered nearly £200,000 from a youth football league has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Kevin Prictor, 58, had been accused of living a life of luxury on the back of wife Karen's criminal activity.

But a jury of nine women and three men took just three hours to find him not guilty of the charge following a four day trial at Swindon Crown Court.

Mr Prictor, an electrical engineer, had insisted that he had no involvement in the family finances, leaving it all to his 47-year-old wife.

Prosecutors told how he had 'lived like a king' as Karen, who worked for Cotswold District Council, continually defrauded the children's organisation.

She had abused her position as treasurer of the North Wiltshire and District Youth and Minor Football League to siphon off just shy of £200,000 from its coffers.

She would transfer money, sometimes three times a day, into the joint account to prop up the family's spending in the five years up to June 2013, the court heard.

Opening the Crown's case Hannah Squire, prosecuting, said: "No one, members of the jury, is that daft or unquestioning about their family finances."

She told how during the period from 2009 to 2013 Mrs Prictor never took home more than £17,026 a year from her job and Mr Prictor's net pay never went above £26,500.

But in 2009 more than £30,000 went into their account from the league, with more than £43,000 in 2010, £50,000 plus in 2011, and more than £56,000 in 2012.

Giving evidence in his defence Mr Prictor said he did not even open his own pay slips as he was paid by standing order.

He told the jury that Karen ran the finances of the household and he just withdrew £10 or £20 a week in cash for spending money.

Asked by his barrister Gareth James "Were you living the high life?" he replied: "It depends what you call the high life. I was not living any better than anyone else."

Prictor said not only did he not consider that he lived like a king but he also said he had no inkling his wife, who he said he loved and trusted, was defrauding the league.

Mr Prictor said he didn't even know who his mortgage was with until the police told him and couldn't recall what year he got married.

The court has heard that Karen Prictor admitted fraud and false accounting, where she doctored paperwork to try and cover up what she had done.

Margaret Rivers, 55, admitted fraud while her husband Andrew, who goes by the name Philip, 58, both of Ramleaze Drive, and both the women have admitted possessing criminal property.

All three will be sentenced at a later date.