A FRAUDSTER who based his business in Amblecote and disappeared before being sentenced is finally behind bars.

Geoffrey Stevens, aged 68, was arrested in March 2006 at his High Street offices where he ran a cold calling scam targeting small businesses.

After his conviction at Worcester Crown Court Stevens claimed he was ill, his case was put on hold while he was allowed time to get treatment but he failed to return and was sentenced to six years jail in his absence.

Dc Dave Foley, of the Fraud Squad at West Mercia Police, said: “Stevens has had health problems and following his trial, the judge gave him bail so he could attend a hospital appointment and told him to return to court the next day to be sentenced.

“However, Stevens did not turn up for his hospital appointment and then failed to appear at Worcester Crown Court the following morning.

“He remained elusive for two weeks, but after information was passed on to police, he was arrested at a bail hostel in Birmingham.”

Stevens, who lived in Odnall Lane, Clent, between 2006 and 2008, was one of three men involved in the nationwide con whereby a salesman would offer assistance in obtaining finance under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme.

Victims paid an advance fee but almost all never got their loan and when they complained were met with excuses.

After a seven-week trial Stevens was found guilty on February 24 of multiple counts of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining services by deception and theft.

After he was re-arrested on March 10 and brought back to court where he got an extra four months jail for failing to appear and absconding.

After the original sentencing, David Elliott, West Mercia district crown prosecutor, said: “These offences were planned, persistent, organised and executed over a considerable length of time in order to obtain large sums of money.

“They involved advance fee frauds on small businesses and identity thefts in order to drain money from bank accounts and credit cards. The actions of the defendants caused considerable loss to those involved.

"We will now consider whether we can confiscate the culprits’ assets to deprive them of their wrongdoing.”