Man on bail broke leg jumping out of window to escape police officers

A Fife man who breached bail conditions just hours after they were imposed jumped out of an upstairs window in a bid to escape from police and broke his leg in several places.

John Leddie, who spent weeks six weeks in hospital after suffering multiple fractures in the fall, has now been fined over the incident.

He had been released from custody on condition that he stayed away from his partner’s home, after an alleged offence there.

However, he ignored the court order and within hours officers found him in her house.

Leddie, 46, of Denfield Avenue, Cardenden, needed crutches to get into the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that having been granted bail there on January 2, with a condition not to enter Denfield Avenue, he failed to comply and breached that condition the same day.

Depute fiscal Claire Kennedy said unemployed Leddie had been found in the house at 5.25pm.

“The officers had gone there to explain the bail conditions to his partner and the accused was there when they went in,” she added.

Defence agent Jonathon MathiesonDear said: “He accepts it was extremely foolish, having been given the trust of the court.

“The complainer in the substantial case was his partner and he did feel a certain amount of grievance that he’d been arrested in the first place.

“There was a feeling in his mind that he’d not done anything wrong.

“When police came to the house he then foolishly tried to leave via an upstairs window and broke his leg in several places, spending six weeks in hospital as a result.

“It’s been a very harsh lesson for him but he appreciates it was highly disrespectful to the court, having been given bail, to go there immediately afterwards.”

Fining Leddie £200, Sheriff Derek Reekie told him: “You knew perfectly well you shouldn’t have been there and that’s why you went out of the window. You were aware of what was required of you and you ignored it.”