Robber has jail sentence increased after going on run for 13 years

We reported last week how Ambrose Nicholas O’Neill - dubbed ‘The Running Man’ by the national media because of his ability to evade capture - had been tracked down after a tenacious police operation.

He had been missing since July 2008 after attending just the first day of his trial and being convicted and sentenced to eight years in jail for a horrifying assault on an antiques dealer at his own home.

Police located O’Neill at his new address near Boston last month thanks in the main to the efforts of Nottinghamshire officer, PC James Gill, and he was taken to prison.

And yesterday (Monday) he was given an extra eight months to serve after pleading guilty to failing to appear in court during a hearing at Leicester Crown Court.

Ch Supt Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It was thanks to excellent work and dogged determination of our officers who went above and beyond in hunting for O’Neill and getting him arrested.

“This was a nasty attack and I’m delighted that all the hard work paid off and that we were able to finally get justice for the victims.

“After evading justice for so long I am pleased that O’Neill will now be staying behind bars for longer and will now have even more time to reflect on his violent behaviour.”

O’Neill, who is now 42, carried out his terrifying attack on his 67-year-old victim in February 2007.

He knocked on his front door in Seagrave posing as a pizza delivery man before pushing the man over and punching him in the face.

The court had heard how he demanded that the victim open his safe and made threats to kill before leaving empty-handed.

After taking O’Neill into custody again last month, officers also arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender.

She was subsequently released under investigation.