A FORMER Manchester City player who fled to Australia from Bolton part way through serving a suspended prison sentence has been jailed after landing back at Heathrow early yesterday.

A warrant for Jamie Tandy’s arrest was issued after he emigrated in June last year without completing the requirements of a 12-month suspended sentence imposed at Bolton Crown Court for beating his girlfriend Sian Heron.

After being arrested at the airport he was brought back to Bolton Crown Court, where Judge Charles Bloom jailed him for four months.

The court heard the 28-yearold, who had a cigar stubbed out in his eye by fellow footballer Joey Barton in 2004, had been unable to see his two daughters and decided to leave England to start a new life playing football in Australia.

Mark Friend, defending, said Tandy, formerly of Whitefield, had found a new partner and was working as a scaffolder in Perth. He added that Tandy, who had only kept 29 out of his 39 probation appointments before fleeing the country, had informed the authorities that he was flying back to England and had intended returning to Australia in a fortnight.

He was jailed for four months and will be released after serving two months.

Judge Bloom stressed that a message has to go out that people subject to court sentences cannot escape justice by leaving the country.

But he told Tandy: “As far as I am concerned you can return to Australia or go where you like at the end of the two months.