A WANTED man from Dursley who was ‘living in plain sight’ has finally been jailed - seven years after he was caught running a cannabis growing operation.

Gloucester Crown Court heard how police failed to arrest Benjamin Ogbourne, of Acacia Drive, Dursley, even though he was leading a high profile life and had appeared on TV.

Ogbourne was caught running a cannabis growing operation on an industrial estate in Lydney in 2016.

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

Police finally tracked the 44-year-old plasterer down last month and was jailed for 19 months last Wednesday, June 5.

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, and launch a number of businesses.

He even appeared on a TV programme as a ‘knight in shining armour’ who had stepped 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.

“It is very strange that it took until May this year for him to be picked up,” said Mr Young.

“I suspect that for some reason no serious effort was made to find him.

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

Benjamin Ogbourne, of Acacia Drive, Dursley, was on the run for seven years in plain sight before police found him (Image: Gloucestershire Police)

“He didn’t attend crown court and it seems there was no attempt to find him - there was no knock on the door.

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

“Far from trying to avoid detection and hiding, he has continued with his life.”

Prosecutor Jack Barros said police executed a search warrant on Lydney Industrial Estate on September 13, 2016.

They found 24 cannabis plants growing inside a refrigerated lorry trailer as well as £1,990 in cash.

Ogbourne was arrested at the premises.

He admitted producing the cannabis and said he was doing it to pay the rent on his car repair business unit because it had become unaffordable.

Meanwhile, he stated the £1,990 cash seized was from a cafe he ran in Bristol.

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

Mr Barros said Ogbourne had 18 previous criminal 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 added.

Judge Recorder Brian Fitzherbert asked how Ogbourne had been able to set up and run businesses while he was a wanted man.

Recorder Fitzherbert said: “What did he think was going to happen about this case, that it was just going to go away?”

Mr Young replied “In effect, yes.”

Mr Young said Ogbourne had decided not to attend his sentencing hearing in 2017 because he realised he was likely to be jailed.

He added Ogbourne’s partner had just given birth to their baby daughter.

Ogbourne was jailed for a total of 19 months.

This includes 14 months for cannabis production, three months consecutively for failing to surrender to bail and two months for breach of his suspended sentence.