A brandy thief who fled court before he could be sentenced has finally been jailed.
Dean Langford was due to go to custody after admitting to the theft from Sainsbury’s in Huddersfield town centre.
But when this was indicated to him by a district judge he “didn’t feel ready” and absconded from Kirklees Magistrates’ Court instead.
The 38-year-old appeared at the court in custody after being arrested on the warrant issued by the judge on October 4.
At an early hearing he admitted stealing three bottles of brandy valued at £104 from Sainsbury’s in Market Street.
The drug addict’s case was adjourned so that his suitability for a drug rehabilitation requirement could be assessed.
Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, told magistrates: “He came back to court for sentencing and he clearly wouldn’t comply with and wasn’t motivated to cooperate with the order.
“It was clear that there was no alternative and Mr Langford knew where he was going.
“He decided that he wasn’t quite ready that day to go to prison and so he left court.
“The district judge sentenced him to eight weeks in custody and a warrant was issued and executed.
“It’s just a matter now of GEOAmey (security staff) taking him down and taking him to Armley.”
Magistrates formally sentenced Langford, of Leeside Avenue in Brackenhall, to the prison term of which he will serve half before being released on licence.
He will have to pay £115 victim surcharge upon his release.
