A BIDFORD man found guilty of charges of harassment and possessing an illegal weapon is on the run from police.

Stephen Blake, aged 28, of Crompton Avenue, thought that his DNA would not be found on a sawn-off shotgun after it was handled by another man and insisted tests were carried out on it.

But when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court for a pre-trial review hearing and learned that he had not succeeded in masking his DNA, he fled from court.

A warrant was issued for Blake’s arrest, and his trial went ahead in his absence.

Blake was found guilty of charges of harassment and possessing a prohibited firearm, which he had denied.

When he is caught he will face a minimum five-year sentence for the firearms offence.

Prosecutor Simon Drew said Blake and his girlfriend Kelly Smith had got to know another Bidford couple, Ben Simmonds and Jade Pheasey.

In February last year Miss Pheasey was at Blake’s home when she heard him make phone calls to buy drugs and then receive a call from Mr Simmonds. Blake became aggressive and threatened to go to his house and blow it up and shoot him.

Police found the illegal weapon wrapped in a tarpaulin under Blake’s ferret hutch but when questioned, he claimed he knew nothing about the gun and that it must have been planted there by Ben Simmonds.

Previously, Blake had invited Mr Simmonds to go round and test the gun.

Judge Orme adjourned sentence until September.