He dishonestly acquired charity items including a $3200 Trek bicycle,a signed rugby jersey,a gym membership and pack of comic books.

Numerous artworks were also purchased,including one for $700 which Antoniolli had himself painted and then donated for auction,only to buy it again at ratepayer expense.

Magistrate Anthony Gett accepted the fraudulently obtained money"did not go into your own pocket"and charities themselves were not defrauded.

They would have even benefited from Antoniolli's offending,Mr Gett said.

But he said his offending was deliberate and protracted,with attempts to vindicate himself at trial"self-serving".

He said he breached the trust of ratepayers.

"You were genuinely motivated to assist the community organisations,"Mr Gett said.

"But that is not at odds with your awareness from the potential benefit to you as a politician.

"You profoundly lost your moral compass.

"Your offending should be seen as serious as it was deliberate,calculated,cunning and not confined to an isolated incident."

Mr Gett noted Antoniolli's significant history of community service and charitable actions.

A local boy,former police officer and"devoted"community servant,he was charged after a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation which led to the sacking of the entire Ipswich City Council last year.

Mr Gett suggested he may have been led astray.

"Your blameworthiness must been seen in the prism that you became aware of the offending practice from other councillors,including the then-mayor Paul Pisasale,"he said.

"You received advice and instructions from others within the council as to how the offending practice worked.

"There is no suggestion you were the original architect of this fraudulent scheme."

Antoniolli has avoided becoming the second former Ipswich mayor to be jailed in 15 days after Pisasale was put away last month for extortion.

AAP