A fraudster who fled court for an hour came back to face the music - and ended up with three years in jail.

Former police officer Grant Murray was due to appear before Norwich Crown Court this morning (April 5) to be sentenced on seven counts of fraud, forgery and theft from his ex-wife.

However when staff at Norwich Crown Court gathered for the hearing, the 34-year-old - who left Norfolk Police in 2008, having worked as a police constable - was nowhere to be seen.

'He went to take some calls,' defence barrister Mark Rooshove explained to Judge Anthony Bate. 'Put frankly, I don't know where he is.'

Judge Bate ordered that police be called to find Murray, of Sutton Road, King's Lynn, and bring him back to court, saying: 'Please urge the officers to treat this as a priority, if we alert them he shouldn't get too far.'

Murray returned and was sentenced to three years inside.

The court heard how Murray had forged signatures onto documents to illegally obtain loans dating to September 2, 2015.

He had also fraudulently applied for credit cards under his ex wife's name on December 21, 2015.

Between December 23, 2015, and February 23, 2016, he also stole £15,500 from his former spouse.

The police were first alerted to the situation by the victim of and of the theft and fraud.