text: Jailed: Riki Hughes stole £17,000 from the football club where he volunteered as club secretary . A veteran of the Iraq war stole thousands of pounds from a children's football club and spent the money on a stag trip to Las Vegas. Lance Corporal Riki Hughes has been jailed for 16 months after he plundered the accounts of Tidworth Town Football Club, where he volunteered as club secretary. He claimed to be making rent payments to the club's landlord - even though the team was actually getting its property for free. Hughes, 31, spent the money on himself, including camping equipment and a stag holiday to Las Vegas, Salisbury Crown Court heard. The former soldier, who served two tours in Iraq, pleaded guilty to stealing £17,000, but the club claimed that the total theft amounted to £26,000. He made out 70 bogus rent payments to an account he'd set up in the name of landlord Aspire Defence, which was not charging the club rent. Judge Andrew Barnett said: 'For two years you milked the funds of that football club, set up principally for those involved in the services and their children. 'You in effect treated a great deal of club money as your own. It was spent on personal luxuries. That's a disgraceful thing to do.' Hughes, from Andover in Hampshire, has been working as a telecoms engineer since he left the Army. Holiday: Hughes spent the money on a stag holiday in Las Vegas, pictured, and camping equipment . The court heard that he had an exemplary career in the military, and no prior criminal record. Relatives burst into tears when Hughes was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Speaking after the case, Tidworth Town chairman said the Wiltshire club was happy that justice had been done. 'It's a relief we can put this to bed now,' he said.
target: Ex-soldier Riki Hughes, 31, was the club secretary at Tidworth Town FC .
  He set up fake bank account in the name of the team's landlord and siphoned off at least £17,000 .
  Jailed for 16 months after spending the cash on camping gear and holiday .