A MAN who spent months on the run because he feared a prison sentence was jailed for seven months yesterday.

Paul Turner, appearing before Harrogate magistrates, North Yorkshire, admitted theft, deception, possession of cannabis and failing to answer bail. He also admitted breaching a drug treatment and testing order imposed for assault on police and resisting police.

Turner, 30, who had a further seven days added to his sentence in place of unpaid fines, was also ordered to pay £420 compensation.

Simon Ostler, prosecuting, said Turner, of Hyde Park Road, Harrogate, had spent a week in a guest house in the town's King's Road last year, with his partner, Katherine Hull, before leaving without paying. She has since received a three-month sentence.

Turner, who had told owner Keith Banks they were on emergency housing aid, ran up a bill for £420. When police searched his former home, in Albany Avenue, Harrogate, they found the cannabis.

Mr Ostler said Turner, who four months later left a Harrogate store without paying for a £2.99 bottle of wine, was due for sentence on February 3 but did not surrender to bail.

In mitigation, Geoffrey Rogers said he arrived at court but the case was not called during the morning session. He did not go back after lunch because he panicked, fearing he would be jailed.

Mr Rogers said Turner had gone to live in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, with his mother, working there as a dry stone waller and returning to Harrogate last week to be with Miss Hull on her release from prison.

He was now trying to quit heroin and thought he would lose his new job as a binman if he was jailed.