A swindler who was fortunate to escape a jail sentence apparently thumbed his nose at home detention by absconding before his first day.
Shane Harwood, of Masterton, has now been hit with a jail sentence.
The 32-year-old, convicted of defrauding an elderly Masterton woman of $35,000, had been sentenced on June 23 by Judge Peter Butler to seven months' home detention and six months' supervision for obtaining by deception.
He had befriended the victim who felt under immense pressure to lend him money, the court previously heard.
During an 18-month period, Harwood told her "layer upon layer of lies", including needing money to fight for custody of his children and that his grandmother had died leaving $90,000 which he'd pay her back with.