A bike thief ran from court before he was given a 12-week jail term and ordered to pay £1,012 compensation to four cycle owners.
Jobless Kyle Meli, 23, had admitted stealing cycles worth £3,750 from outside the QMC, the University of Nottingham and from Central Avenue, West Bridgford.
After hearing the evidence and his defence, Nottingham magistrates adjourned to discuss their sentence in private. During the break, Meli told court staff he was going to the toilet.
When the three magistrates returned, he had gone.
Solicitor James Buckley, mitigating, told them: "Instead of going to the lavatory, he seems to have left the building."
Magistrates issued a warrant for the arrest of Meli of Harwill Crescent, Aspley.
For the next two years, he is banned from going onto the campus of the University of Nottingham.
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Presiding JP Kevin Beardsall said: "This was a continued screed of theft, to some degree sophisticated and planned.
"He has now absconded so we issue a warrant for his arrest."
Ann Barrett, prosecuting, said that a £350 bicycle was taken from outside the Queen's Medical Centre on December 14. Six days later, two cycles went from Central Avenue, West Bridgford.
And on Boxing Day, a £900 model went from outside the university. Two of the stolen machines were electric bikes costing £1,250 each.
One victim said: "I have had to use public transport which takes 45 minutes whereas it takes ten minutes on a bike. It is costing me £80 monthly to travel by bus and nothing by bike.
"There is a lost opportunity for exercise," he added while another victim said it had caused "inconvenience more than anything else."
Meli also pleaded guilty to having cannabis and failing to give a blood sample when suspected of driving a vehicle on June 24 last year.
Mr Buckley said the bike thefts "involved no professional hallmarks."
He added: "It is simply people cutting chains from bikes and riding away. There were no vehicles involved."
The court heard that Meli owes fines totalling £2,000 from previous offences and is on benefits. Because of this, he was excused paying prosecution costs or a government surcharge.
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