A judge today (Friday) ordered police in Greece to arrest a Broadmoor man who has repeatedly failed to attend court hearings.

William Gething-Lewis, who lived in Broadmoor before moving to Greece, has been in the court system for two years accused of receiving £54,000 worth of state benefits he was not entitled to.

But he failed to attend hearings at Haverfordwest magistrates' court and today failed to turn up at Swansea crown court.

Judge Geraint Walters issued an arrest warrant with an instruction that Gething-Lewis be held in custody once he had been detained.

And the judge said his trial would go ahead in July whether or not he was present.

Gething-Lewis sent medical evidence to the court detailing various health issues which, he said, prevented him from travelling back to Wales.

Judge Walters ruled that the evidence was insufficient to justify his non attendance.

And he said magistrates in Haverfordwest should not have granted him bail without imposing conditions, such as confiscating his passport.

Gething-Lewis, aged 70, is accused of failing to tell the Department for Work and Pensions and Pembrokeshire county council that he owned shares and was receiving an income from them.

Consequently, it is alleged, he received pension credits and council tax relief he should not have.

The court heard today he owned a property in Greece.