28 years for jewel raids

A DANGEROUS robber remains on the run today because a judge allowed him temporary freedom to attend a funeral. Elliott Burton was jailed for 12 years in his absence for a major role in a series of well-planned and ruthless robberies across England, including two at a Hampshire jewellers. A court heard Burton, 38, absconded during his trial in April at Birmingham Crown Court. It emerged yesterday that he used the death of his partner's relative to persuade Judge Trevor Faber to excuse him on the penultimate day of his trial. He did not return the following day, as instructed, and has been at large ever since. Judge Faber sentenced him for conspiracy to rob, and ordered his parents to pay £1,000 of a £10,000 bail surety. The three-man gang was jailed for a total of 28 years. Their robberies, between November 2005 and May 2007,... [read full story]