A wanted man who avoided serving his prison sentence by fleeing for nine years has been arrested in Cheshire. Jason O’Connor, from Merseyside, was originally jailed for five years in his absence on April 17, 2013, after being found guilty of conspiracy to produce cannabis.

After failing to appear at the 2013 hearing, he fled and has since been wanted. But around noon Thursday (April 7), officers finally arrested O’Connor on Stansfield Avenue in Warrington. He was taken into police custody ahead of his appearance at Warrington Magistrates Court.

PC Matthew Uren, of Cheshire Constabulary and who led the investigation at the time, said: ‘Today’s arrest is fantastic news and I want to thank the NWROCU officers.

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“O’Connor escaped punishment for nearly a decade by choosing to flee, but justice finally caught up with him and he is now behind bars.”

The 46-year-old was part of an investigation into a conspiracy to produce and supply cannabis in the Elton and Helsby area between February 9, 2010 and October 31, 2010.

He was first arrested when officers searched a property on Marsh Lane, Elton, in February 2010. During the search officers discovered approximately 225 cannabis plants in three rooms.

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