A prisoner slipped out of his handcuffs while being escorted to jail, before he made his escape on foot from a Garda vehicle, a court has heard.
Christopher O’Donnell pleaded guilty to escaping custody on August 23rd this year. He also admitted stealing a set of handcuffs from a garda. Sgt Donal Cronin told Limerick District Court “The State’s property, the handcuffs, were not recovered.” Mr O’Donnell, who was at large for six days, was arrested on August 29th.
Judge Eugene O’Kelly was told that Mr O’Donnell had received an eight-month jail sentence on December 13th, 2011 for a separate offence, which had been suspended for 12 months provided he exhibited good behaviour for that period.
Judge O’Kelly noted that, as the accused had committed the escape and theft during the intervening period, he was now subject to a section 99 activation of the suspended sentence. He referred this to Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. “He’ll come back here when the Circuit Court has dealt with that matter,” the District Court judge said.