POLICE failed to arrest a wanted man for seven years even though he was leading a high profile life in plain sight, running businesses and even appearing on a national TV show

In 2016 Benjamin Ogbourne was caught running a cannabis growing operation on an industrial estate in the Forest of Dean.

He was bailed to appear before Gloucester Crown Court in April 2017 to be sentenced but did not show up and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Last month police finally tracked Ogbourne down and the 44-year-old plasterer has been sentenced to a total of 19 months imprisonment.

The court was told that while 'on the run' he had made no attempt to evade police and had continued to use the same name, live in the same area across the Severn in Dursley, launch a number of businesses, and even appear on a Channel Four show stepping in to help an elderly woman after she was 'ripped off' by a builder.

Ogbourne's lawyer, Steve Young, said it was 'remarkable' that he had lived such a high profile life for so long with a warrant out for his arrest.

“When he appeared in the magistrates court and pleaded guilty in 2017 he gave his correct address.

“He didn't attend Crown Court and it seems there was no attempt to find him – there was no knock on the door. He has not hidden, he has been running businesses openly.

“He currently runs a plastering business called Flush Finishes with one employee

“Far from trying to avoid detection and hide he has continued with his life."

Prosecutor Jack Barros said that on September 13, 2016, police executed a search warrant on Lydney Industrial Estate and found 24 cannabis plants growing inside a refrigerated lorry trailer as well as £1,990 in cash.

“He said he grew the cannabis to help with his rental payments for his legitimate business. He said the £1,990 cash seized by the police was from the cafe he ran in Bristol."

Ogbourne had convictions for a total of 55 offences, six of them drug-related.  The cannabis growing offence was committed in breach of a 16-week suspended jail term Ogbourne had received for two fraud offences.

He failed to turn up for sentencing in 2017 because he was likely to get a prison sentence and his partner had just given birth to their daughter.

Mr Young said the cannabis growing operation was set up because he and a friend had set up a car repair business on the Lydney Industrial estate but it was making no money and they were tied into a lease which would cost them £10,000 in total.

“They had been operating the business for three months and it brought in no profit at all. He was in a position where he needed to clear that lease and he intended to grow cannabis and sell it all in one unit."

The court heard the 24 plants would have produced 1.349 kilos of the drug, worth £13,340.

Recorder Brian Fitzherbert said he accepted that he had not committed any further offences in the seven years he had been a wanted man.

"You simply got on with your life in the hope that these offences would not catch up with you," he said.

"This was a deliberate attempt to evade justice which has led to substantial delay and interference with the administration of justice.

Ogbourne, of Acacia Drive, Dursley was jailed for 14 months for cannabis production, three months consecutively for failing to surrender to bail and two months for breach of his suspended sentence, a total of 19 months.