A jewellery thief from Birmingham who went on the run during his trial because he panicked gave himself up to police months later, a court has heard.

Judge Trevor Faber told 38-year-old Elliot Burton he had used the death of his brother-in-law as a "deliberate ruse" to enable an escape when he persuaded a judge to excuse him on the penultimate day of his trial in April.

He ignored instructions to return to Birmingham Crown Court the following day and remained at large until September 4 when he handed himself in at Redditch police station.

Burton, from Highgate, was on trial for his part in a series of armed robberies in which jewellery worth £1.5m was stolen. He was part of a gang that carried out robberies across the country between November 2005 and May 2007.

After Burton absconded, he was sentenced in his absence to 12 years for conspiracy to rob. His parents were ordered to pay £1,000 of a £10,000 bail surety.

Returning to Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, Burton admitted that by failing to attend he had been in contempt of court.

Harry Lally, defending, said that Burton panicked when faced with a lengthy sentence and family problems, including the death of his brother-in-law.

"He felt he could not deal with the situation and had to get away," he said. "He's remorseful and I say that to be genuine, because he handed himself in. He tells me it was only a matter of time before he did so."

Burton was sentenced to an additional six months' imprisonment for contempt of court, to be served consecutively to the existing sentence.