A WOMAN who was jailed for fraud will spend more time behind bars after she didn't bother to turn up to her trial or to her sentencing hearing.

Julie Penney, of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, was convicted and jailed for three years in her absence at Oxford Crown Court for fraud offences earlier this year.

The 51-year-old appeared via videolink at the same court yesterday to answer one count of failing to surrender to custody and two of failing to answer court bail.

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The court heard that Penney didn't turn up to her trial in February this year and after she was found guilty in her absence she then didn't attend her sentencing in March.

Outlining the case prosecutor Kaj Scarsbrook said that Penney had made a 'deliberate attempt to evade justice' and she was only arrested on August 1 in Scotland.

In mitigation defence barrister Helena Duong said that her client had 'buried her head in the sand'.

She added that it was not a case where the convicted person had 'fled the country to try to avoid justice' and said: "This was never a case where she could not have expected justice to catch up with her."

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Sentencing Judge Peter Ross said that by failing to attend court Penney did impact proceedings causing them to be delayed.

He added that Thames Valley Police had to travel up to Scotland in order to apprehend her.

Penney was jailed for a total of 28 days which will start at the end of her current three-year jail term for the two counts of fraud by false representation.