A Derry man who has amassed almost 150 previous convictions in the North and South of Ireland has been jailed for robbery and escaping from police custody at Altnagelvin Hospital following his arrest.
Glen Michael Smith, 43, of Bradley Park in the Shantallow area of the city, was yesterday sentenced to three years in custody and three years on license in the community, at Derry Crown Court.
He pleaded guilty to a robbery committed on October 27 of 2015 when he stole a safe and mobile phone after entering the BONBON shop in Newcastle, County Down.
He was also sentenced for escaping from lawful custody and for the criminal damage of ceiling tiles belonging to the Western Health and Social Care Trust on December 14, 2015.
The court heard the defendant has 121 previous convictions in Northern Ireland and 23 previous convictions in the Republic of Ireland which are mostly for burglaries.
On December 13, Smith was arrested in Derry and taken to Strand Road police station before being transferred to Altnaglevin Hospital after telling officers he had taken drugs.
He was placed in a ward but asked to go to the toilet and was duly escorted by a police officer.
The officer heard a loud bang from outside the toilet cubicle and ordered the defendant to open the door, which he did.
It was discovered that Smith had pulled down three ceiling tiles and once outside of the cubicle he managed to run away from the officer and escape through a locked door.
The 43-year-old was on the run for two months before he was arrested in the Republic of Ireland.
Defence barrister Sean Doherty told the court that when his client was arrested by the Garda he decided to ‘wipe the slate clean’ by admitting to a series of unresolved burglaries in that jurisdiction.
Smith was sentenced to six years in prison with a total of three years in custody without remand followed by three years on license.
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