A former insurance broker has been jailed for 18 months for defrauding clients of nearly $60,000.

Mark Chappel, formerly of AgriRisk, fought the charges but was found guilty and has lodged an immediate appeal to the sentencing, according to The Northern Daily Leader.

Based in Tamworth, Chappel obtained over $57,000 of his clients’ money illegally through invoice irregularities and was sentenced by Magistrate Michael Holmes last week.

“He was taking advantage of the trust he was in with the victims,” Magistrate Holmes said, according to The Northern Daily Leader.

“This dishonesty has not been a spur-of-the-moment thing. 

“It has been over a considerable period of time ... all considerable amounts of money to small businesses and farms.”

Magistrate Holmes convicted Chappel on all eight counts of fraud as Chappel was jailed for 18 months with a minimum non-parole period of six months.

“This matter has been a disaster for the defendant,” Chappel’s solicitor Chris Zucker said.

“Obviously, he lost his job, he lost a subsequent job and he’s unlikely to work in the insurance industry again.”