A FORMER Andover man who absconded during his trial for robbery has been jailed for five years.

William Roger Scobie and co-defendant Aaron Smith were both found guilty of robbing a man of cash in Basingstoke following a trial at Winchester Crown Court.

A jury heard evidence that the pair had committed the robbery of Babu Kulasekhar at a property in Basingstoke, in February last year.

Scobie, formerly of Camelot Close, absconded during the trial and a guilty verdict was given in his absence.

The 19-year-old, whose more recent address has been in South Street, Gosport, has spent around two months on the run before being apprehended and sentenced along with Smith in Salisbury Crown Court last Friday.

Scobie was also found guilty of handling stolen goods and failing to attend court.

He was sentenced to five years detention for the robbery and handling of stolen goods and an additional one-month detention for absconding during the trial.

Smith, also 19, whose address at the time of being charged was HM Young Offender Institute Portland, Dorset, was also sentenced to five years detention for the robbery and receiving stolen goods.

Following sentence, investigating officer, Detective Constable Tom Prutz said: “This conviction marks the culmination of more than a year of hard work by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to bring these two criminals to justice.

“These convictions could not have been achieved without the bravery and support of those directly affected by Scobie and Smith’s actions as well as other members of the public who gave up their time to assist the police investigation.

“This is a fantastic example of the police and the community working together to tackle serious offending and bringing the perpetrators to justice.”