The former manager of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen’s Music, has been jailed for defrauding the 75-year-old composer of more than £500,000.

Michael Arnold, 76, was Sir Peter’s manager for more than 30 years and was entrusted with his finances.

He was jailed for 18 months at Kingston Crown Court on Monday.

The self-confessed gambler had earlier admitted one charge of false accounting involving £522,333.

Arnold, who walks with a stick, was spared a longer sentence because of his age and ill-health.

Judge Nicholas Jones told him a "considerable sentence" was merited.

Arnold and his wife, Judith, both of Golders Green, north west London, had faced a separate charge of stealing £447,000, but that case was dropped after the prosecution offered no evidence.

The couple had allowed Sir Peter an annual allowance of £25,000 when he should have been entitled to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The stolen money has been repaid to him.