Prisoner escapes from custody at Limerick court

A prisoner escaped from custody in Limerick District Court this morning.

The man was sitting in the dock waiting for his case to be heard when he jumped over the glass partition between him and the main body of the court and ran out the door.

He jumped down the steps of the courthouse and he fell briefly and hit his head.

He then turned left onto St Augustine Place as he was pursued by gardaí­.

A number of gardaí­ caught him on nearby St Peter Street a few minutes later.

He has since been re-arrested and brought back before Limerick District Court.

Earlier, Judge Mary Larkin had to rise briefly after another man in custody started shouting at gardaí­ and had to be forcibly removed from the courtroom.