A 'BUILDER from hell' who went on the run after fleecing a pensioner out of tens of thousands of pounds has handed himself in after his picture appeared on the front page of the Daily Echo.

Boxing coach John Hart, who lives in Pokesdown, failed to show up at Swindon Crown Court this week to find out he'd been convicted and jailed for five years.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and the story of his offending was printed in the Echo.

Hours after the story was published, it was confirmed that the 62-year-old had turned up at the court, where he was sentenced to an additional four months in prison for contempt of court.

The defendant charged victim David Taylor £34,500 for work which would have cost no more than £6,000 to properly carry out.

Hart, of Hannington Place, also smashed a hole in a ceiling at the Swindon property to make more work for himself, jurors heard.

He attended the first two days of a trial but on Tuesday sent a series of messages to say he had been held up on his way to court.

He then failed to turn up and the trial proceeded without him. Jurors later convicted him of fraud.

Detective Constable James Roberts from Swindon CID said: "I would like to thank the public and the local media for sharing the news of the case which put pressure on Hart to hand himself in.

"I welcome the additional sentence handed to him yesterday.”

Hart, who appeared on TV show Builders from Hell in 1998, targeted Mr Taylor because of his vulnerability, Judge Tim Mousley QC said.