A VICAR from Farnham who went on the run hours before he was convicted of stealing more than £24,000 of church fees has been jailed for 32 months.

Simon Reynolds, of Upper Church Lane, was found guilty on four counts of pocketing money paid for weddings and funerals during his time as priest-in-charge at All Saints Church in Darton between 2007 and 2013.

The 50-year-old clergyman didn’t return to Sheffield Crown Court for the verdict last Thursday and a manhunt was launched before he handed himself in to police on Monday morning.

At Mr Reynolds’ sentencing hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Julian Goose QC handed the vicar a 30-month custodial sentence for stealing church fees and an additional two months for breaching his bail.

The Diocese of Guildford is expected to announce disciplinary action against Mr Reynolds, who is the rector of St Andrew’s Parish Church in Farnham, in the coming days.