A WITNESS who went to ground before a week-long car crush trial emerged within hours of sentencing – to go shoplifting.

Now, Leanne Hurd has been given a suspended jail term after she admitted failing to attend court.

A warrant was issued for the 29-year-old's arrest earlier this autumn requiring her to attend Swindon Crown Court, where Lee Goodchild was on trial for using his VW Golf as a weapon to crush another man in the Spotted Cow pub car park.

But Hurd was a no show throughout the trial in October, with detectives unable to drag her to court.

Within hours of Goodchild being jailed for 13 years and 10 months, Hurd had emerged from her hiding place.

She struck out for Waitrose in Wichelstowe, where she loaded up on £522.18-worth of booze and groceries. Her shoplifting efforts proved ill-advised. She was arrested ad put before the magistrates’ court on Thursday, where she pleaded guilty to theft and was handed a nine-week curfew and an order to pay a £90 victim surcharge.

Hurd was frogmarched across Islington Street to the crown court, where she indicated through her brief that she was aware of the warrant out for her arrest.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said: “She has deliberately avoided proceedings. There has been a gap in her shoplifting almost as if she’s lying low. Now the trial’s over it is not without coincidence – Goodchild was sentenced [on Wednesday] – she’s out shoplifting thinking it’s over.”

Hurd had been due before the crown court last Friday but she refused to get on the prison van. She was finally produced on Tuesday.

Emma Handslip, defending, said her client's partner had been contacted by an unnamed caller saying she should not attend court.

"She decided she didn't want to come to court because she felt there would be consequences if she did," Ms Handslip said.

Hurd had used the five days in prison wisely and had a temporary prescription to heroin substitute methadone should she be released.

Sentencing her to two months imprisonment suspended for a year, Judge Jason Taylor QC said: "You deliberately absented yourself from giving evidence in a serious trial.

"That is a a contempt of court and it is serious because it can result in serious crimes going unpunished.

"In this instance the defendant was convicted in any event. Nonetheless, the message must be clear. These sorts of behaviours attract custody as the administration of justice can be adversely affected.

"You felt under pressure and you formed the view that the consequences of this contempt where preferable to the consequences you might receive on the street."