Derry teenager who escaped custody while handcuffed and 'became a folk hero in his own area' sent to Juvenile Justice Centre

A District Judge has told a 16-year-old who escaped lawful custody while handcuffed that he did not believe his 'fairy story' about how the cuffs came off.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Derry Magistrates Court today where he was remanded to the Juvenile Justice Centre

The court heard the teenager was arrested in Central Drive in Creggan on March 27 for allegedly breaking up masonry and throwing it at a police Land Rover.

He was bailed for that offence but rearrested at his home on May 24 after he allegedly damaged a bedroom door.

The defendant was handcuffed by police but while he was being taken to a police car he broke free and made off on foot into the Creggan Estate.

Police received information the next day that the youth had posted on Facebook bragging about removing the cuffs.

A police officer told the court the defendant then breached his bail for the next 20 days by failing to abide by his curfew.

The defendant handed himself in at the police station yesterday and said during interview he had 'panicked' after he ran away from police.

In interview he said he did not know how the handcuffs were removed and that he 'woke up and they were gone'.

His mother later declined to make a formal complaint about the alleged damage to the door.

The officer said the youth was a 'priority offender' and already has 23 convictions.

Defence solicitor Ciaran McGuinness said: “He said he panicked, but he can’t get around the fact he didn’t panic for three weeks- he could have handed himself in sooner.”

District Judge Barney McElhom commented; “I’m not even going to consider that fairy story over someone removing the handcuffs.”

The judge said the youth 'played to the gallery' and had made himself a 'folk hero in his own area'.

Remanding the defendant to the Juvenile Justice Centre the Judge said this would remove his obligation to be ‘Jack the lad’.