Handcuffed suspect climbs over police vans, over a wall and breaks his back to escape officers
By: Wales, UK - Police bodycam captures the moment a suspect in handcuffs tells officers, “I’m not going back to jail” during a dramatic escape.
Dylan Harrison, 33, from Newport darted from the back of a police van, jumped on the roof of another police vehicle before he climbed over the wall at Ystrad Mynach police station despite the desperate efforts of officers to stop him.
His great escape lasted just seconds however, as he was arrested immediately after breaking two bones in his back during the fall.
David Pinnell, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court how Harrison sprinted away from two female police officers after arriving in the yard of the police station.
The defendant had been placed in the cage of a police van after being accused of domestic violence offences against a woman in Newport.
He was later found not guilty of these allegations after the complainant failed to turn up at court for his trial.
While in the back of the van, Mr Pinnell said Harrison had moved the handcuffs in front of him without the officers noticing after he’d been cuffed behind his back.
Harrison had cracked the windscreen of the police van before climbing on the roof.
The defendant admitted escaping from lawful custody and criminal damage.
His offences took place on Thursday, September 25.
The court heard that the defendant, originally from Liverpool, was jailed for 67 months at the city’s crown court in 2017 for possession of guns.
Harrison’s counsel, Gareth Williams, said: “This was a stupid thing to do.
“He tried to get over a high wall and broke his lower back.
“The benefit of all this was nothing.”
His barrister added: “His girlfriend is nine months pregnant.
“She has said to him while he’s been in custody, ‘I’m on my own, and I’m struggling.’”
Mr Williams revealed that his client’s best friend had been killed in a car crash.
Judge Daniel Williams jailed Harrison for six months.
The time he has spent on remand will count towards his sentence.