A Black Country Hells Angel who fled to South Africa after being convicted of taking part in a terrifying airport brawl is beginning a six-year jail sentence today.

Mark Larner, who was also ordered to serve a further three months in custody for skipping bail, was found guilty of riot at Birmingham Crown Court in May.

But the 47-year-old, formerly of Tudor Road, in Upper Gornal, then fled to South Africa while on bail, spending about two months in the country before using his own passport to sneak back into Britain.

Larner, who voluntarily surrendered himself to police in Bristol earlier this month, was among eight men found guilty of rioting at Birmingham International Airport in January last year.

The Hells Angel failed to appear for sentencing alongside the seven other bikers in June and was said to have gone to South Africa with “a suitcase full of money”.

His counsel, Toby Coupe, told Judge Patrick Thomas QC that the biker had returned from South Africa by flying to Frankfurt via Namibia and then catching a train to St Pancras.

But despite his passport being scanned three times, he was not picked up by the authorities and rented a property in Bristol for a further two months.

Passing a consecutive three-month sentence on Larner for breaching his bail, Judge Thomas said Larner may have received a lesser sentence for riot if he had not absconded.

The judge, who was informed that Larner had experienced severe health problems, said the court could not condone his decision to flee the country. Three other members of the Hell’s Angels and four members of the Outlaws motorcycle gang were convicted following the disorder, which broke in a passenger terminal at the airport.

Up to 30 people, some armed with knives, hammers, machetes, knuckledusters and a meat cleaver, were involved in the battle.

During the trial the court heard the gangs clashed in what was described by the prosecution as a “free for all” at the airport, some of which was captured on CCTV.

The jury heard that the two biker gangs had a “long-standing rivalry” and a “historic” dislike of one another.