A 44-YEAR-OLD man who went on the run for 13 years after burgling an elderly woman's home in Berkeley has kept his freedom this week after a judge heard he has stayed out of trouble since the 2005 offence.

John Wall of Highwood Park, Patchway, Bristol had been due to appear at Gloucester Crown Court on June 14, 2005 for breaking into a 77 year old widow's house in Fisher Road, Berkeley.

But he did not show up that day and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Remarkably, Judge Michael Cullum heard that it took 13 years for Wall to be found, despite him living 'locally' in Bristol, and travelling to and from Ireland several times.

Wall was eventually arrested at Bristol airport last month, on his return from a trip to Ireland.

At a hearing at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday, October 15, prosecutor Janine Wood said that Wall and co-defendant, Miles Connor were caught in the act of burgling the house in Berkeley.

The judge accepted that Connor had a much greater criminal past than Wall, and described Wall as 'very much number two' in the offence.

Nothing was stolen during the burglary, but the police found the offenders had attempted to take £200 in an envelope marked 'fuel', along with items of jewellery.

Co-defendant Miles Connor was jailed for three years for his part in the crime in 2005.

Mrs Wood confirmed that Wall had no other convictions recorded against him, either before or after the burglary in June 2005.

Judge Cullum said he had read 'helpful letters' from support workers indicating that Wall had health issues and had made progress 'rebuilding his life from chronic alcoholism'.

The court heard that Wall now had the support of his sisters.

The judge ruled he would 'balance the need for punishment with rehabilitation'.

Imposing a nine month prison term suspended for twelve months, with a probation supervision requirement, the judge said: “This is to allow you to rebuild your life from chronic alcoholism. Continued prison would only destabilise the situation. I can suspend the sentences properly.”

The judge warned Wall that if he breached the suspended sentence with further offences he would be jailed.