Runners from the court always end up caught

IT DOESN’T happen that often, but when a prisoner does a runner from the court it’s always a talking point around the halls of justice.

Now, because the teenager hasn’t yet been dealt with for the charge of “escaping lawful custody”, the lawyers get nervous about what a journo might write – with that notion of “innocent until proven … etc” ringing in their ears.

That’s why you always see a healthy sprinkling of “allegedly” in police and court reports in newspapers.

Everything is alleged until proven. But, I was allegedly in the courtroom when the teenager allegedly jumped out of the court dock, allegedly over the glass security screen and allegedly through the court doors to allegedly run off, so surely the lawyers will be at ease – allegedly.

That, and the fact there was a courtroom full of judges, barristers, solicitors, police, court staff and a journo who allegedly saw the same alleged incident.

I’ll say one thing for the young would-be fugitive, he was quick on his feet and just as nimble (allegedly).

Negotiating glass hurdles, swinging doors and a hallway full of people to make good one’s escape – if only briefly – was the stuff of Johnno Thurston at his peak.

And, I bet I wasn’t the only one impressed with the lad’s agility.

After all, the kid’s barrister who was seated beside the dock doubles as the Chairman of the Mustangs Rugby League Club.

But the alleged incident brought back memories of previous runners from the court.

Some were more successful than others, but they all had one thing in common – they were all caught … eventually.

The most successful, if success is judged by the length of time the prisoner remains “at large”, was a young bloke who did a runner from courtroom three.

He, a winger, wasn’t in custody and was standing beside his lawyer, an old halfback, at the bar table.

The lawyer sensed his client was getting a little edgy as it became apparent the magistrate (a former Valleys and Wattles front row forward) was about to “bin” him. He was right.

His client took off like Josh AddoCarr on an intercept chased by the police prosecutor, an old front-rower with Newtown, who had no chance of landing a tackle on him.

That lad remained at large for a week until one day police, looking for someone else altogether, knocked on the door of a Toowoomba home and who should answer it but our lad.

I wrote about that incident in this very newspaper which the prosecutor cut out, had laminated and signed by all concerned, including the prisoner.

There have been other “runners” but my favourites will remain the two prisoners handcuffed to each other in the days before the new police station when the watch house was in Neil St behind the court.

The pair was being led back to the watch house by a policeman who had turned to lock the door to the courthouse behind him.

“Run!” was the cry and they ran off handcuffed to each other.

They got across Hume St and could have made good their escape had they not run either side of a power pole and were left in a crumpled heap on the footpath with scratches, bruises and, for at least one of them, a broken wrist.

Ah, those were the days!