A handcuffed man's desperate attempt to flee police custody ended in severe injury and a further prison sentence after he broke his back scaling a wall.
The Desperate Dash from Custody
The incident unfolded on September 25 at Ystrad Mynach police station in South Wales. Dylan Harrison, a 33-year-old originally from Liverpool, was in a police van after being arrested on allegations of domestic violence offences against a woman in Newport.
Before the arresting officer could complete the formalities, Harrison managed to slip his handcuffs to the front of his body. He then suddenly sprinted away from the two female officers accompanying him.
Bodycam footage captured the officers shouting 'Get back here now!' as Harrison made a frantic bid for freedom. In a dramatic sequence, he first jumped onto the bonnet of a police van, cracking its windscreen as he used it to launch himself towards a high wall.
A Painful and Costly Landing
Despite still being restrained, Harrison managed to haul himself over the wall. However, his landing was catastrophic. The fall resulted in two broken bones in his lower back, immediately crippling his escape attempt and leading to his swift recapture.
When he later appeared in court, Harrison admitted to offences of escaping from lawful custody and criminal damage for the harm caused to the police vehicle.
Sentencing and Aftermath
At Newport Crown Court, Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Harrison to six months in prison for the escape. The court also heard that Harrison had been cleared of the original domestic violence allegations after the alleged victim did not attend court.
His defence barrister, Gareth Williams, stated: '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.' Williams also revealed that Harrison's girlfriend is nine months pregnant and has been struggling alone during his time in custody.
The court was informed of Harrison's previous criminal history, including a 67-month prison sentence imposed at Liverpool Crown Court in 2017 for possession of firearms.
