A PRISONER who escaped from the clutches of the police during two separate incidents was jailed for 15 months yesterday.

Elizabeth Todd, 24, went on the run after being granted bail while appealing against a four-month prison sentence imposed by magistrates in December last year.

Newcastle Crown Court was told that even after dropping the appeal, the mother-of-two failed to surrender to custody and went on the run.

A month later, she was recognised by a police officer on patrol in Pallion, Sunderland, but was driven away in a BMW before police officers could arrest her.

She was eventually recaptured in Pennywell a short time later and was found to have two Ecstasy tablets when searched at the police station.

The following day she was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital for a check-up and took the opportunity to run off, but was back into custody after a short chase.

Todd, of Byron, Street, Southwick, pleaded guilty to two charges of escape and one of possessing Ecstasy.

John Lowe, defending, said Todd was an intelligent woman who was capable of doing well when she was not mixing with the wrong people.

Judge Beatrice Bolton said: "When people commit this type of offence the court takes a serious view of it because others have to receive the message that if they commit offences like these, they will add on to their original sentence."