Teenager freed from handcuffs f led court

A TEENAGER escaped from court after persuading security guards to remove his handcuffs.

Steven McGovern, 18, was arrested and charged over the theft of a motorbike on July 10 this year and appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court later that day with a sling on his left arm.

He was ‘single-cuffed’ because of the injury but as he approached the prison van he told officers he would not be able to climb the steps into the vehicle unless the restraints were taken off. However, as soon as they were removed, he ran off and prison officers were unable to catch him. Eight days later, he attacked three officers who carried out an arrest warrant at a flat in Granton, Edinburgh. He was found under a pile of clothes.

McGovern, a prisoner at Polmont, pleaded guilty previously to the offences and the case was continued until yesterday for a social work report.

Fiscal depute Anna Robertson told the court McGovern had injured his arm in a motorbike crash. Defence solicitor Steven Donald admitted his client’s behaviour had been ‘extremely unpleasant’, adding it was difficult to believe he was only 18, given his record.

He said his client had matured as he now had a daughter and at Polmont had taken part in a parenting skills programme.

Sheriff Kathrine Mackie said a social work report showed McGovern acknowledged all his behaviour, but added: ‘We have heard this before. The fact is he has not complied and has shown no particular motivation to do so.’

She asked McGovern: ‘It is easy to say all the right things, but do you have the motivation to do what is necessary, however hard that might be?’

She placed him on a three-year supervised community payback order, with 250 hours of unpaid work. McGovern was also given an order confining him to his house between 6pm and 6am for six months and disqualified from driving for five years.

In addition, he was ordered to take part in the Venture Trust programme.